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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Rob Gronkowski is making steady progress from his forearm and back operations. Now he just has to get back into football condition. The star tight end isnt saying if he expects to play in New Englands opener Sunday at Buffalo, but hes noticeably skinnier after cutting back on his usual workouts while recovering. "Im just rehabbing everything," Gronkowski said Wednesday. "I want to have my whole body strong and just have got to keep on grinding and keep on working on all aspects in order to get back." Gronkowski had back surgery June 18, about a month after the fourth operation on the left forearm he broke last Nov. 18 against the Indianapolis Colts. He had surgery, missed five games, then returned for the regular-season finale. But he rebroke the forearm on Jan. 13 in the AFC divisional round when the Patriots beat the Houston Texans 41-28. Hes had three forearm surgeries since then, and said he hasnt had any setbacks. On Wednesday, he participated on a limited basis in practice. "Do I expect to play on Sunday," he asked. "Im preparing every single day to the max of my ability, preparing every day to (do) the best I can. And when my numbers called, thats when Ill play. "I cant tell you when that will be." He still isnt at full strength. "Its not just the forearm and back, obviously," he said. "When youre taking off a little like that, youve got to get conditioned again. Youve got to get stronger throughout your whole body, your legs, your upper body, your arms. So thats all in play, too. You just cant jump out there just because your arms ready." Being sidelined "was difficult," Gronkowski said. "That doesnt matter anymore. Its irrelevant now. The only thing relevant is moving forward every day." He practiced in full pads on Monday for the first time since his back surgery. How did he look a couple of days later? "Another couple days," coach Bill Belichick said. "Were trying to keep stringing them together, trying to keep heading in the right direction, just trying to keep taking it day by day." There may be no rush to get Gronkowski back since the Patriots first two games are against AFC East opponents who they should beat, the Bills and the New York Jets. Their third game is on Sept. 22 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When Gronkowski had back surgery, it was reported that the recovery period for a player to return to a game was about 12 weeks. Sundays opener is just two days before that. "It doesnt matter what that says," Gronkowski said. "It just matters how your body feels, how the rehab programs going and how youre progressing every day. So you just look forward to every day." Quarterback Tom Brady had experience playing without Gronkowski last season. "For his first couple of years of his career, he didnt miss anything and then he missed some games last year," Brady said, "Then we kind of went into, OK, this is what were doing without Gronk. And thats the situation weve been in all spring and summer. "Its like he hasnt even been a part of the team. I mean, hes been a part of the team, doing what he needs to do to get ready, but in terms of what our offence was doing, the other guys have to step in and do the job that were asking them to do." Those guys are free-agent rookie Zach Sudfeld, and veterans Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan. Sudfeld spent six years at Nevada, including one as a redshirt freshman and two with a medical redshirt. Gronkowskis surgeries, the arrest of Aaron Hernandez on a murder charge and his own strong preseason gave Sudfeld his chance at tight end. "Hes been teaching me a lot," Sudfeld said. Gronkowski found that amusing. "Oh, man, hes older than me (by 27 days)," Gronkowski said with a laugh. "Hes a hard worker and a good player, so Im looking forward to get out there with him and the rest of the team. Its just going to be a lot of fun." Whenever that is. ---- NOTES: The Patriots made two practice squad moves, adding offensive lineman Josh Kline and releasing linebacker Jeff Tarpinian. ... A knee injury kept offensive lineman Will Svitek out of practice Wednesday. Besides Gronkowski, the other players limited in practice were wide receivers Danny Amendola (groin) and Aaron Dobson (hamstring), safeties Nate Ebner (ankle) and Duron Harmon (hamstring) and running back Brandon Bolden (knee). Cleveland Indians Jerseys . -- Jacksonvilles offensive makeover is just getting starting. Carlos Baerga Jersey . He has spent much of his adult life trying to give back to his native South Sudan, the war-torn African nation the Cavaliers forward and his family fled when he was a young boy. http://www.indianssale.com/indians-kenny-lofton-jersey/. Cornet won six straight games to rally from a 2-0 deficit and take the first set. The 25th-ranked Frenchwoman broke back twice in the second set before Bacsinszky saved a match point at 5-4. Jim Thome Jersey . Justine finished first with a score of 22.44 while Chloe was second with 21.66 points. Defending champion Hannah Kearney of the U.S., was third at 21.49. A third Dufour-Lapointe sister, Maxime, failed to make the final group and finished 12th while Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City was 10th. Omar Vizquel Jersey .com) - Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for 51 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder took down the struggling Bucks 114-101 on Tuesday.A running back is like a city bus. If you miss one, just wait five more minutes and another will come along. This rather harsh maxim is something thats been said on many a draft day of the position. It reflects the mindset of a pro football team that there are so many talented players at that spot, it should be relatively easy to find a replacement should one go down with an injury or retire. The Toronto Argonauts are hoping thats the case because Chad Kackert has been forced to step away from his starting job after breaking his lower leg in a non-contact practice just before last years Eastern Final. Replacing a back of his talent will not, despite the adage, be easy. Sporting a lengthy vertical scar on the outside of his left leg, starting just above the top of his shoe, Kackert said he found out a couple of days ago that camp would be a no go. "I expected to come back and be on IR (injured reserve)," said Kackert, "but I understand the circumstance of the league. I dont want a handout, I dont want to come onto a team and just take a paycheque while Im sitting around not helping anybody."Kackert has been named the teams strength and conditioning coach and was in attendance as the Argos opened their full camp at York University on Sunday. "Im going to rehab. I mean I want my leg to get better...who wants to walk around on a gimp leg for the rest of their life?" continued the 27-year-old. "If its sooner rather than later then Ill reevaluate, but as of right now Im going to get my leg better and I going to coach this team as far as strength and conditioning goes." If Kackerts career is over it was certainly an eventful one. He was named the starting running back in 2012 amid a firestorm of controversy when Cory Boyd, the leagues leading rusher at the time, was unceremoniously cut by the club during the bye week. Kackert took over and led the team to the 100th Grey Cup, where he was named the games Most Outstanding Player. Scott Milanovich benefited from Kackerts play, but now the head coach must carry on without him, something that he was prepared for. "I wasnt expecting him to be here (at camp) as a player," said Milanovich. "It was a very serious injury, particularly with his style of play, using his quickness and his speed so we were planning all along, to unfortunately have to replace him." The coach underscored the importance of Kackerts role on the team, not only on the field, but in the locker room, where his intangibles will still be present in his new coaching role. On the field, life goes on. The Argos currently have six other tailbacks in camp. Canadians Anthony Woodson and Brendan Gillanders would be long shots to start. Another Canadian, this years first-round draft pick Anthony Coombs, is "absolutely" a possibility to be the starter, according to the coach.dddddddddddd. The other three are Americans. Steve Slaton is a former starter with the Houston Texans who was a Heisman Trophy finalist with West Virginia, Jeremiah Johnson is a one-time star at Oregon, while Curtis Steele is back for another year. Steele saw some game action last season when Kackert was injured. His best game was against B.C., when he rushed for 74 yards on 12 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. Milanovich says that experience will help him in his quest to become the starter, although the competition is wide open. "Curtis has an advantage because hes been here and hes been in the offence," said the coach. "It could be any of those guys at this point." Steele took reps with the first team on Sunday, something he may not have envisioned because he didnt find out about the severity of his teammates injury until the night before camp opened. Like Kackert said about his paycheque, Steele doesnt want anything handed to him. "It just means that you have to come here and work even harder," Steele told TSN.ca. "I thought Kack was going to be back this year, now (the starting spot) is up for grabs. Every day counts, every rep counts, so you just have to come out and give it your all." Its been an interesting calendar year for the University of Memphis product, who got his first taste of the Canadian game, before getting married in April. How much did last years experience help him prepare for this opportunity? "It was huge," said Steele. "I learned so much last year. The plays (this year) are coming to me faster, Im doing less thinking, and thats what I was aiming for for this year. I dont want to think as much so I can just feel comfortable and just make plays and just play." Coombs is the wild card here. A decade ago a Canadian would be a long shot to start at running back, but with two of the leagues best backs, Jon Cornish and Andrew Harris, being Canadian, the adage that a home-grown product wasnt talented enough to play that position has been proven to be a myth. Can the University of Manitoba product continue the trend? He knows he has a lot of work to do. "Things go a lot quicker in the backfield and you have to stay patient. You have to stay calm and focus on your steps and your aiming point and make your read and go. Once I get comfortable with that I think the skys the limit." He quickly added something about the passing game that will make his coaching staff and quarterback smile ear to ear. "We (the backs) are more concerned with the protection because if you cant protect Ricky Ray, you wont be running no routes (laughs) so thats the first thing." With the "Kack Attack" gone, the battle to replace him becomes one of the more interesting subplots to an already fascinating training camp. ' ' '