Patriots Notebook: 'Field trip' part of final series of workouts before summer break

Deconstructing a few Patriots-related notes this Monday afternoon.

--Hearing that this week’s voluntary workouts for the Patriots are going to be a little more low-key than what happened at a (relatively) eventful minicamp, with what one source describing a “field trip” the team will take some time in the next few days. (Workouts this week are set for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with media availability set for Thursday.) Over the years, the last week of the offseason program has usually seen some sort of curveball from Bill Belichick — whether it’s been the coach calling off the last scheduled workout before summer break as he's done before to an impromptu soccer game in the bubble — and so it’s not out of the ordinary.

--According to our buddy Ian Rapoport from NFL Media, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady aren’t expected to be around for this week’s series of workouts. No surprise — both were noncommittal when they were asked about it last week. That means their next time on the practice fields behind Gillette will come the last week of July and the start of training camp. For what it’s worth, both were among the most impressive offensive guys on the roster during the recently-concluded three-day minicamp. One more Gronkowski-related note from Pro Football Talk, which has a fairly good track record when it comes to those sorts of rumors involving the tight end: a new deal for him is “likely, but not imminent.”

--And there could be some hope for Julian Edelman. Albert Breer reported Edelman tested positive for something that wasn’t immediately recognizable. If there’s some doubts about what he took, that could be the first step in a successful appeals process for the wide receiver. (Remember, Richard Sherman had his suspension overturned on appeal.) As always, stay tuned.