The Facts: Hernandez underwent shoulder surgery earlier this offseason and likely will miss OTAs and minicamp this spring, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning. Citing two sources, Rapoport said Hernandez will likely be ready by training camp. It is unclear when the injury occurred.

Diehards Line:Last week, Hernandez said his goal for the upcoming season was to get through 16 games for the first time in his career. The news of Hernandez's surgery, coupled with Rob Gronkowski's injury complications, makes the Patriots depth chart look a little less prolific with Daniel Fells, Jake Ballard, Brad Herman and Michael Hoomanawanui the remaining tight ends on the roster. After the Patriots lost a chance to add wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders earlier this week, the receiving corps looks to be a concern heading into the 2013 NFL Draft. As NFL.com's Kevin Patra suggests, while Gronk's injury and the lack of an outside receiving threat are issues, as long as Hernandez is back in the fold in time to knock the rust off with Brady before the season starts, the injured shoulder shouldn't be a huge concern. But we'll obviously be watching the situation closely.