The New England Patriots continue to hold out hope that Aaron Dobson will be ready for training camp later this month.
Nick Underhill of MassLive.com cited a source on Tuesday to report that "there is now optimism" that the second-year wide receiver will return to the field for the first time since his March foot surgery.
Underhill was told that it's "too early to be certain" about Dobson's availability, but this marks the first dose of positive news about the wideout in some time.
The Patriots pass-catcher sustained the injury in a Week 12 win over the Denver Broncos. Dobson returned to play the final two games of the regular season before again tweaking the foot in Week 17.
Last year's second-round pick has a shot to become New England's leading "X" receiver this autumn. Getting back in time for camp would serve as a boost for an attack that saw Dobson, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, Sebastian Vollmer and Shane Vereenmiss a combined 33 games last season.
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