Gronk's old, new back problems unrelated

ESPN reports that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski's upcoming back surgery is not related to the back procedure he had in 2009. While at the University of Arizona, Gronkowski underwent a microdiscectomy, removing a small portion of his spine to relieve pressure on his sciatic nerve. Dr. Robert Watkins performed that surgery and will also do this next procedure. Gronkowski is not expected to be ready for the start of training camp in late July and could potentially miss the start of the regular season.