Tom Brady may have at one time considered voluntary workouts a critical part of the offseason -- "This lays the foundation for the start of training camp and if you have a good training camp, it usually means a good start to the season," he said in June 2013 -- but things have changed. The Patriots quarterback is a no-show for OTAs this week, a fact Bill Belichick isn't interested in discussing.

But owner Robert Kraft was a little more forthcoming. Asked about his quarterback on Wednesday morning from the owners meetings in Atlanta, Kraft says he's been in contact with Brady, emphasized the "voluntary" nature of these workouts as well as Brady's family responsibilities.

Brady has spoken in recent months about wanting to spend more time with his wife and children.

"I have a wife [Gisele Bundchen] that aspires to be a lot of things, and she travels a lot. My oldest son lives here in New York, three kids, and you're just always trying to juggle and you want to be there for them, and you want to be there for the hockey games and the soccer games," Brady said in March. "But you also realize the level of commitment it takes to give as much as you can to the team that needs you."

Kraft adds that Brady is excited about minicamp, where he'll be joined by tight end Rob Gronkowski, who isn't at OTAs either. This should also assuage any concerns that there is friction between Brady and Belichick, which had been reported earlier this year.

"Nothing's changed," Kraft said of the relationship between the Hall of Fame quarterback and the Hall of Fame coach. "Everything's good."