Did the Patriots err by not putting Gronkowski on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which would have sidelined Gronkowski for the first six weeks but opened up a roster spot for someone else? The answer is a decisive no and the reason is that if Gronkowski was on PUP, he wouldn’t have been eligible to practice. For Gronkowski to reach his desired comfort level after undergoing five surgeries since last November, he simply had to practice. That alone is more than worth the roster spot.