Rob Gronkowski had a good time on the ESPYs red carpet with tennis player Daniela Hantuchova. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

NFL camps have started … do you know where your former Arizona Wildcats are?

Offseason news has been dominated by ex-UA tight end Rob Gronkowski, who followed up his record-setting second season with the New England Patriots with what is widely referred to as the “Summer of Gronk.”

Let the Boston Globe describe it:

“Gronkowski, in no particular order, won a celebrity home run derby at the Triple-A All-Star Game (reportedly hitting one 325 feet), appeared on The Choice, a dating show, co-hosted Access Hollywood Live, judged a celebrity bikini contest in Las Vegas and walked the ESPY’s red carpet. He also attended the premier of the movie “Ted,” hung out with Kim Kardashian, was one of the naked cover boys for ESPN The Magazine, and ran a viral video campaign trying to land on the cover of the Madden video game.

Oh, and he also signed a six-year contract extension worth $54 million – the richest deal ever given to a tight end. It includes $18.17 million in guaranteed money.”

Oh, to be Gronk.

Gronk is the headliner among the former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL, with 22 players on camp rosters.

Here is a look at who is where:

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Colin Baxter was with the Chargers in the preseason but didn't survive the final cut. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The list of former Arizona Wildcats on active NFL rosters has dwindled to 10 after a couple of transactions this week.

Undrafted rookie Colin Baxter, who started two games earlier this season as an injury replacement for the New York Jets, was waived earlier this week and reportedly picked up for the San Diego Chargers practice squad.

Baxter went through preseason camp with the Chargers, but did not make the final cut. He seemed to be a good bet to join San Diego’s practice squad at the time, but the Jets needed help on the line and picked up Baxter.

According to ESPNNewYork.com, Baxter had an offer to join the Jets’ practice squad this week but opted to return to the Chargers.

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Rob Gronkowski streches for a 14-yard touchdown reception in the first half vs. the St. Louis Rams/Photo by Stew Milne, US Presswire

Former Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski, who gave up two years of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft, appears to have made the right decision.

(It’s right about here where Arizona fans can sigh and wonder what could have been.)

Anyway, Gronk had a super exhibition game Thursday night, catching two touchdown passes from Tom Brady in the New England Patriots’ 36-35 loss to the St. Louis Rams. Gronkowski had a 14-yard TD reception late in the first half and a 20-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter.

On the first score, according to the PatsPulpit blog, “Gronkowski had linebacker James Laurinaitis draped on his ankles, yet Gronkowski kept driving his legs, and literally jumped his way six yards into the end zone.”

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Fabbians Ebbele, from Chicago, should be one of the new building blocks for the offensive line/Photo by Brad Allis, WildcatSportsReport.com

You might not have been able to tell from the kind of vocabulary offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh was using during Monday’s practice, but he seems to really like his young offensive linemen.

It’s this group of four true freshmen, combined with three redshirt freshman offensive linemen from the class of 2009, that will be the future foundation of everything the Wildcats want to do on offense.

For now, the true freshmen might give up a speed rush to Brooks Reed coming off the edge in practice. They might not go hard every time from snap to whistle. That’s OK. It’s early. What is encouraging is they look the part.

Mickey Baucus, Fabbians Ebbele, Carter Lees and Trent Spurgeon are part of what appears to be Mike Stoops’ most physically impressive freshman class.

“These guys, there are all in the 6-6 to 6-8 range, and they all have long arms, and they are all 290 to 300 pounds. They’re athletes,” Bedenbaugh, also the co-offensive coordinator, said of his linemen.

“But the biggest thing is, just mentally picking up the game. They’re getting a lot of reps right now, but it’s going to take some time.”

With six seniors and one junior (guard Vaughn Dotsy) in the two-deep, Arizona doesn’t have much margin or error with injuries. The experience drops off quickly. Redshirt freshman Eric Bender-Ramsay is listed as a possible backup at left tackle. Chris Putton is a second-stringer at left guard.

The opportunity could be there for a true freshman.

“We’ve got to have one of them develop in case we get into a situation where we need them,” Bedenbaugh said.

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Former Arizona linebacker Spencer Larsen is now a full-time fullback for the Denver Broncos/Photo by Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

NFL teams have been holding minicamps and other offseason training activities, so let’s take a look at where former Arizona Wildcats stand as everyone gears up for the start of training camp in late July:

Mike Bell, RB, Philadelphia
Earned a Super Ring with New Orleans last season — leading the Saints in carries during the regular season (172 for 654 yards) — before signing a one-year free-agent deal with the Eagles worth $1.7 million. He is expected to back up second-year pro LeSean McCoy and be a more powerful change of pace.

Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago
The five-time Pro Bowl pick will be going for his seventh consecutive 100-tackle season as he welcomes back Brian Urlacher to the Bears’ linebacker corps this season. He’s a popular teammate and popular in the Windy City … hey, how else do you get chosen to be a judge at Chicago’s version of Playboy’s 50th Anniversary Party.

Eben Britton, OT, Jacksonville
A 2009 second-round pick, Britton started 15 games at right tackle last season and looks to be a fixture on the Jags’ offensive line, along with fellow second-year pro Eugene Monroe at left tackle.

Copeland Bryan, DE, Detroit
He was signed by the Lions last year after being cut from Buffalo at the end of training camp. He played in five games for Detroit, starting one, making five tackles, including one sack.

Antoine Cason, CB, San Diego
The Chargers traded Antonio Cromartie, so they expect Cason, who has been a nickel back, to take over as a starting cornerback. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune blogged recently that Cason “is having an excellent offseason. He is always on the ball, is blanketing receivers, knows what he’s doing. Of course, he hasn’t been going against Vincent Jackson or Malcom Floyd (until recently) or even Legedu Naanee.” For sure, check out this great story from Acee in April, talking about how Cason spent several weeks training in Tucson with a UA assistant track coach.

Lionel Dotson, DE, Miami
Was on the Dolphins’ roster all of last season, but was mostly inactive on game days, appearing in two games. The 2008 seventh-round pick again will be fighting for a roster spot in training camp.

Nick Folk, PK, New York Jets
Folk was super in his first two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, making 46 of 53 field goal attempts and earning Pro Bowl honors as a rookie in 2007. But he had hip surgery after the 2008 season, struggling to regain his form. The Cowboys cut him in December, and then Folk signed with the Jets in February.

Chris Gronkowski, FB, Dallas
He is versatile as a blocker and pass-catcher, willing to do the blue-collar work. Coach Wade Phillips told DallasCowboys.com, “We’ll see when we get the pads on, but he looks good so far.”

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots
The second-round rookie is helping to remake the position in New England, which also drafted Florida’s Aaron Hernandez in the fourth round. While Hernandez is considered more of a pure pass-catcher, Gronkowski has all-around tight end skills and, according to Patriots.com, made the play of the day at a recent full-squad scrimmage on a pass from Tom Brady.

Chris Henry, RB, Houston
He was the 50th overall pick in the 2007, drafted by Tennessee because of his excellent workout at the scouting combine rather than his production on the field. Henry got little use in his first two years, and the Titans released him early last season. He landed with the Houston Texans, but did not have a carry. He’s competing for a roster spot this summer.

Chris Jennings, RB, Cleveland
Jennings has been a nice success story, walking-on to Arizona as a junior college transfer and becoming productive in the running and passing games. Undrafted, he was playing in the Canadian Football League last season when the Browns called, and Jennings was able to stick with the team, rushing 63 times for 220 yards. He’ll be facing a roster crunch at running back in training camp.

Michael Johnson, FS, N.Y. Giants
He won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in the 2007 season and became a starter in 2008, but neither he nor the team’s secondary was stellar in 2009. Considering the Giants signed ex-Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle to a five-year, $37 million contract, have youngster Kenny Phillips and veteran Deon Grant, and used a third-round pick on LSU safety Chad Jones … Johnson’s days in New York might be numbered.

Spencer Larsen, FB, Denver
The former All-Pac-10 linebacker was a two-way player for his first two seasons in Denver, famously starting at fullback and at linebacker as a rookie. Now, he will be exclusively an offensive player … and you can be sure he’ll do it with a great attitude. “Football is football,” he told reporters earlier this month. “A lot of it is the same techniques. Linebackers have a different personality but to me it is all football. By doing this, I can still be a special teams member and it is something I care about.”

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Rob Gronkowski's workout Saturday improved his draft stock/Tucson Citizen photo

Rob Gronkowski had just finished the three-cone drill, headed for a break on the sideline, when he uttered, confidently, “The beast is back, baby.”

The former Arizona tight end worked out Saturday on campus, his all-important first audition in front of pro scouts — 25 of them, representing 22 teams. At stake was a potential first-round selection and lots of money.

Not only did Gronkowski have to run fast times and show good hands and be flexible and all that stuff, but he absolutely needed to do what he could to counter a report from NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, who said Wednesday that Gronkowski has spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine.

Like Gronk said, the beast is back.

He worked out for three hours and posted the kind of 40-yard dash times that affirms his status as a physical freak. After the first of his two 40s — he was clocked in 4.65 seconds with the wind, in the low 4.7s against it — his exuberant agent Drew Rosenhaus ran over and slapped his hand, gave him hugs and must have been calculating how much his client’s stock was rising.

“I’m ecstatic,” Rosenhaus said. “Rob put on a show. He is the premiere tight end in the draft and he’s going to be the first player drafted at his position, and he fully demonstrated that today.”

Check out video of parts of Rosenhaus’ interview at FoxSportsArizona.com

Gronkowski is considered one of the top two most talented tight ends in the draft, the other being Oklahoma’s Jermaine Gresham, who, like Gronkowski, missed all of last season. Gresham had a knee injury.

Naturally, Rosenhaus enthusiastically touted his client, saying he is hearing Gronkowski could go as high as the mid first-round. Tight ends are rarely selected any higher than that.

“Without exaggeration, Rob put on a show,” Rosenhaus said.

“He was spectacular in his times. He was brilliant in his routes. He demonstrated his is healthy. He is clearly the No. 1 tight end in the draft.

“I couldn’t be happier for Rob in his performance because he came out here for three hours and worked his tail off and showed all these teams that he is healthy and 100 percent ready to go and be the top tight end in the draft. …

“Rob Gronkowski is a complete tight end,” Rosenhaus added. “He can catch and block, and not everyone can say that.”

Now, about that back …

Rosenhaus flatly denied that Gronkowski has stenosis, a condition that shortened the career of NFL Pro Bowl offensive linemen Chris Samuels and is cited as a reason why former Auburn star offensive tackle Marcus McNeill slid to the second round in the 2006 draft.

NFLDraftScout.com reported Friday that a scout with an NFL team had confirmed that Gronkowski has been “red-flagged” by teams due to a spinal condition.

Gronkowski, who missed the 2009 season for the Wildcats, underwent a microdiscectomy on his back Sept. 24.

“Every team I have talked to says there are no concerns about his back,” Rosenhaus said.

“He passed his physical at the combine. There are no red flags on him. He is ready to go. The back is not a factor. He had an injury. He had surgery to correct it. He had the best back doctor in the world in Robert Watkins, who has cleared him by the way. So has Dr. James Andrews.

“There’s no issue.”

Gronkowski, checking in at 6-foot-6 and 258 pounds, has been pointing toward this day ever since he declared in mid-January that he was leaving early for the NFL Draft. He was unable to work out at the combine and skipped Arizona’s pro day on March 12 because he needed the extra time to be ready.

“I have been waiting for this day for a while now,” Gronkowski said.

“I have been training in Miami for about two months, every single day. I believe I came out here and everything went great. I have proved my back is no issue. I performed every single thing they wanted me to with no problem.”

According to NFL.com, Gronkowski had a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot, 11-inch broad jump, a 4.47-second short shuttle and a 7.18-second three-cone drill.

He caught passes from former Salpointe High School and Hawaii quarterback Tyler Graunke, and performed blocking drills against his brother Chris, who is considered a late-round prospect as a fullback/H-back.

“I ran the time I wanted to, and I was feeling great out there,” Rob Gronkowski said. “I knew the hard work would pay off in the end.”

It could pay off with a first-round selection.

Rob Gronkowski will wait until later to do a full workout for NFL scouts/Tucson Citizen photo

Former Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski isn’t ready to show his stuff for scouts. He will head to the NFL combine on Wednesday scheduled to only do the bench press and the full round of interviews.

Gronkowski, who missed all of his junior season because of back surgery and then declared early for the draft, has been training in Miami at the Bommarito Performance Systems. He has been sprinting and running routes.

“As far as my back and my health, I’m definitely 100 percent,” Gronkowski said by phone Monday.

“I’m just getting my legs back into it. Strength-wise, endurance-wise, I just want to be 100 percent. I’m probably about 90 percent. I’m going to be doing the bench press at the combine, and I will show off all my stuff on a different day.”

That day could be the UA’s Pro Day in Tucson on March 12, when scouts will come in to check out all of Arizona’s prospects. Or it could come later in March in a Tucson workout for scouts.

Gronkowski’s dad, Gordy, said that his son’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, advised the family to not work out too soon.

“They want him crisp, they want him sharp,” Gordy said. “They say, ‘Don’t rush in if you don’t have to.’”

In the meantime, Rosenhaus’ staff has been preparing Rob on a different front — testing Rob on NFL game film and reading defenses, as well as running him through interview scenarios. NFL personnel tend to ask anything and everything to gauge reactions, critical thinking and character.

“Teams want smart, intelligent football players,” Gronkowski said. “The interviews are going to be a big part of it for me because that is all I’m going to be participating in, really, at the combine.

“I have sat down with many experts, former players and the people our agent hires to help us out. I’m confident my interview skills will be good there.”

His brother, Dan, a former tight end at Maryland who played in two games as a rookie with the Detroit Lions last season, also has been giving advice. Dan went to the combine last season and has spent the past couple of weeks in Miami, helping Rob break down NFL schemes.

Chris Gronkowski, a fullback who completed his eligibility at Arizona last season, also has been working out in Miami. He was not invited to the combine in Indianapolis, although he is considered a draft prospect and will work out at the UA Pro Day.

Gordy said, in terms of the physical tests, Chris is exceeding the numbers posted by fullbacks at last year’s combine.

“His times are unbelievable right now,” Rob said.

Two other former Wildcats will work out at the combine — defensive tackle Earl Mitchell and cornerback Devin Ross.

More coverage from TucsonCitizen.com:
Press conference video: Gronkowski talks about his jump to the NFL
Scott Terrell, UASports.net: An ode to Gronk

Chris Gronkowski in a 2008 workout/Tucson Citizen photo

Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski said one of the appeals of jumping to the NFL right now is a chance to play in the league — perhaps even on the same team — with one of his brothers.

Dan Gronkowski, who attended Maryland, spent last season with the Detroit Lions, appearing in two games. Chris Gronkowski, a fullback/H-back/tight end hybrid, just completed his final season of eligibility at Arizona.

We all know Rob has first-round talent — although his back injury, depth of this year’s talent pool and the lack of draft importance applied to his position might keep him out of the first round — but what kind of a prospect is Chris?

For sure, he’s going to get a chance.

“There are a bunch of different reports,” Chris said Friday, attending the news conference in which his brother declared early for the NFL Draft. “But I’ve heard as high as fourth to free agent. So, it’s all over the place. I just have to work hard, show what I’ve got, pretty much just get noticed.

“Hopefully, I can get a little help from Rob in getting noticed.”

Chris’ appeal to the NFL is his versatility as a guy who can fill some of those unsung roles on offense — and he can block and catch. He was never a focus of the Arizona spread offense, but he showed he could be a threat as a junior, when he had eight receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns.

Arizona went more to an outside passing game this past season — mostly because of Rob’s season-long back injury — which diminished Chris’ touches, as well. He had four catches for 20 yards.

Draft analyst Rob Rang, of NFLDraftScout.com, said he sees Chris “as more of an undrafted free agent type right now.” He adds that Chris has value because of his ability to fill multiple spots and be a special teams player because he runs well.

“Certainly, the versatility is appealing,” Rang said. “I could see him getting some interest. You know he has versatile skills and he’s going to play hard.”