New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden sprained his ankle last winter and was unable to run during any part of the team's offseason training program, according to league sources.
Bolden suffered the ankle sprain while lifting weights on his own, when he didn't have his ankle planted correctly, a source familiar with the injury said. He is scheduled to meet with team trainers on Monday and believes his ankle has healed sufficiently, according to a source.
Bolden still attended the Patriots' program, but couldn't participate in drills. He is hoping and expecting to be ready for the start of training camp on July 25. Being that it was the offseason, New England opted to be cautious with him, holding him out of drills with the hope of having him ready for summer training camp.
Bolden rushed for 274 yards and two touchdowns last season before being suspended four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances in November.
He averaged 4.9 yards per carry on his 56 rushing attempts. He also caught two passes for 11 yards.