Deion Branch News

There's no denying the obvious. As the Patriots gear up for today's conclusion of minicamp, and the offseason program as a whole, the rookie wide receivers have found themselves in a hole because of injuries that restricted their ability to get on the field.

Veteran wide receiver Jabar Gaffney spent three straight seasons with the New England Patriots from 2006-2008, and he almost had a second stint with the Pats last year before being released just before the 53-man roster crunchdown.

Wide receiver Austin Collie, shown in 2011, is looking for a job. He recently had a workout for the New England Patriots.

August 18, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium.

The growing pains taking place in the New England Patriots offense have been on full display throughout organized team activities.

The Patriots quarterback is working with a flock of new faces as New England makes its way through this week's organized team activities.

It probably feels like this offseason has been nothing but one continuous trip to the operating room for New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski - a feeling encapsulated nicely by NFL Network's Rich Eisen.

Jan 20, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski attempts a field goal out of the hold of punter Zoltan Mesko against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter of the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium.

NFL coaches and general managers on the shorter end of the stick may ask themselves, "How can we win now, while also building for the future?" Age is a double-edged sword.

Only three of the 12 on the roster are holdovers from last year. Gone are Wes Welker , Brandon Lloyd and Deion Branch .