NFL

Hernandez's role in the alleged crime remains unclear after Massachusetts State Police searched his home for over two and a half hours Tuesday. Per reporter Greg A. Bedard, police are looking for a second vehicle under Hernandez's name in addition to the rental car considered a "key piece of evidence." We're nowhere near the end of this.

Things are going downhill quickly for New England's star tight end. It sounds like the February shooting was accidental, but allegedly came in the course of an argument. It's important to note that the entire episode is hearsay since criminal charges were never pursued, but it's an ominous backdrop to Hernandez being one of the subjects of a Massachusetts murder investigation. Hopefully his situation will clarify before the end of the week, and for the better.

ESPN's Adam Schefter had the news first on Tuesday, but Rapsheet has chimed in with slightly stronger language, saying it "will" happen. Per Rapsheet, the Pats haven't given up hope that Gronk will be ready for Week 1, but we'd assume it's a fanciful hope. Gronk isn't a Peterson-esque healer, while the Pats have every reason to exercise extreme caution with their game-changing tight end.

The pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together. Lloyd's body was found roughly a mile from Hernandez's home, in the vicinity of a rental car connected to the tight end. WBZ-TV is reporting that Hernandez has not been ruled out as a suspect, but ABC says the tight end did cooperate with police Tuesday night. He left his house in a white SUV Wednesday morning, presumably with his lawyers. A search warrant of the rental car is expected to be executed Wednesday.

Take this with a grain of salt as there's just one source and an issue of semantics looms. It's possible Hernandez hasn't been ruled out simply because he hasn't yet told his story to the authorities. The report also states that the victim is Odin Lloyd, 27, of Dorcester. Lloyd was a linebacker for the semi-pro Boston Bandits. State police detectives knocked on Hernandez's door Wednesday morning, but no one answered. They made a brief phone call and then left. On Tuesday night, police spent hours inside Hernandez's home and emerged with a box.

There's still no sign that Hernandez is a suspect in the murder investigation, but he has consulted with a lawyer. It's possible that the box police removed from his home was evidence. The Patriots, NFL, district attorney's office and Hernandez's agents have all declined comment, leaving the public in the dark as to exactly what is going on. We only know that a 27-year-old male body of an "associate" of Hernandez's was found in the vicinity of a rental car connected to the tight end roughly a mile from his home.

As to be expected. At this point, there's no reason to unilaterally assume Gronk won't be ready for Week 1 ' two and a half months is a long time ' but there's still far more reason to believe he won't be ready than will be ready. We're unlikely to get a good read on Gronk's regular season status before mid-August. All we know for now is that he'll start camp on the active/PUP list.