Mark Harrison signed with the Patriots Monday. (AP)

Mark Harrison signed with the Patriots Monday. (AP)

At first glance, the numbers jump off the page.

Wide receiver Mark Harrison was a three-year starter at Rutgers who finished his college career with 107 receptions for 1,769 yards and 18 touchdowns. A starter as a sophomore, he had 44 receptions for 829 yards and led the Big East with nine touchdowns. After struggling a bit as a junior, in 2012, Harrison played in 13 games with 11 starts, and he finished with 44 receptions for 583 yards and six touchdowns.

Physically, he appears to have the tools to succeed: The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder doesn’t necessarily possess elite speed, but he’s a big target with a sizable wingspan who can overmatch undersized defensive backs. In addition, he was one of the best receivers at the combine when it came to his vertical jump and broad jump.

So why was a physical specimen like Harrison available to the Patriots in mid-May, almost a full month after the draft? Two possible reasons.

One, fair or not, there are some questions about his background. According to one report, Harrison was one of the players at the combine this past February who had a trashed hotel room. Regarded as mid-round pick, that may or may not have played a role in the fact that he wasn’t drafted.

(For what it’s worth, Rutgers coach Kyle Flood went out of his way to defend Harrison, telling ESPN, “I’ve been on a lot of road trips and we’ve never had a single disciplinary issue with [Harrison]. He’s a model of the type of person we want here at Rutgers. It would be so out of character to be involved in this that I just cannot imagine under any circumstance that it would happen and involve him.”)

And two, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Harrison failed his physical with the Bears because of a foot injury. (Just prior to Rutgers Pro Day, he apparently broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot.) However, it was believed that Chicago was interested in re-visiting the possibility of re-signing Harrison when the injury was cleared.

As for how he projects at the NFL level, his size and skill set suggest an oversized receiver, perhaps bordering on tight end. He certainly compares to the 6-foot-1, 245-pound Aaron Hernandez, another big wide receiver who masquerades as a tight end in the New England passing game. As a collegian, Hernandez ran a 4.64 40, displayed a 33-inch vertical leap and a 9-foot, 3-inch broad jump. By way of comparison, Harrison posted a 4.46 40-yard dash, a 38.5-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 9-inch broad jump.

Rob Gronkowski underwent another procedure on his left forearm on Monday afternoon, and according to multiple reports, the surgery was a success.

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski underwent another procedure on his left forearm on Monday afternoon, and according to multiple reports, the surgery was a success.

Pro Football Talk reported that the infection which had been lingering in the wake of the initial surgery was “gone,” and that the tight end had a “new plate installed” in the arm to provide support. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network has also indicated that the surgery was a success, adding “no fifth surgery on the forearm” is needed, according to a source, a point that was echoed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Gronkowski suffered the initial break in a Week 11 win over the Colts, and later re-broke his arm in the postseason against the Texans. The 24-year-old caught 55 passes for 790 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Patriots in 2012.

Gronkowski will still be faced with one more medical issue this offseason, as he’s scheduled for back surgery soon for a disk problem that reportedly bothered him last year.

For more Patriots news, check out weei.com/patriots.

The Patriots added a pair of players to their roster on Monday, signing wide receiver Mark Harrison and kicker David Ruffer, according to the league transcrion wire.

Harrison is a 6-foot-3, 231-pounder from Rutgers who had an up-and-down career as a collegian — in 2010, Harrison had 44 catches for 829 yards and nine touchdowns, which included a game against Cincinnati where he finished with 10 catches for 240 yards and four touchdowns.

The Patriots added a pair of players to their roster on Monday, signing wide receiver Mark Harrison and kicker David Ruffer, according to multiple reports.

Harrison is a 6-foot-3, 231-pounder from Rutgers who had an up-and-down career as a collegian — in 2010, Harrison had 44 catches for 829 yards and nine touchdowns, which included a game against Cincinnati where he finished with 10 catches for 240 yards and four touchdowns.

Those numbers dropped way off in 2011 — perhaps due to a head injury — all the way to 14 catches for 274 yards. Those numbers went back up again last year when he had 44 receptions for 583 yards and six touchdowns. He becomes the fourth former Rutgers player to be picked up this offseason by the Patriots.

As for Ruffer, he is a 6-foot-1, 193-pounder from Notre Dame who converted 18 of his 19 field-goal attempts in 2010, including a 7-for-7 stretch from beyond 40 yards. A 2010 Lou Groza Award finalist, he connected on his first 23 career field goal attempts as a collegian — an Irish record

For more Patriots news, check out weei.com/patriots.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady

The Patriots opened organized team activities Monday — NFL-speak for full-squad, low-intensity get-togethers that will give us an opportunity to see the rookies and (many of the) veterans on the field together for the first time. (The media will have access to Tuesday’s workout.)

With the understanding that it will be impossible to make any wide, sweeping judgments of substance on any player because of the slow-speed nature of things (and with the knowledge that, at least according to reports, linebacker Brandon Spikes isn’t there), here are eight things we’re going to be keeping an eye on when we hit Foxboro Tuesday morning.

Tom Brady: The whole thing begins and ends with the quarterback, and while we don’t expect to necessarily be surprised by anything he might be doing, it’s always interesting to see where he is, both physically and mentally. One thing to watch will be how he does when it comes to working with the new faces, particularly at wide receiver. Another will be to keep an eye on his mechanics and any sport of tinkering he’s done with his delivery, something he discussed at great length with Peter King on Monday.

The rookies, specifically, Jamie Collins and Josh Boyce: We want to get a look at both of these guys because they’re both such athletic freaks, but Collins intrigues because he may end up playing more of a role in coverage, at least right out of the gate. As for Boyce, he missed rookie minicamp because of a foot issue, and as a result, this should mark his first time on the field with the rest of his teammates in an organized setting.

The tight ends, specifically, Jake Ballard: With Rob Gronkowski expected to be on the shelf at least through the spring, Ballard should certainly get plenty of reps at Gronkowski’s spot in the next month as he works his way back from spending the 2012 season on the sidelines because of a knee issue. It’s important to have a set of realistic expectations for Ballard — he not only spent the entire year on the shelf because of a knee injury he sustained in Super Bowl XLVI, he’s also joining a new system. Regardless, he’ll be interesting to watch. (In that same vein, we’ll also be watching linebacker Dane Fletcher and cornerback Ras-I Dowling, two other players who ended their season on injured reserve.)

New defensive linemen Armond Armstead and Tommy Kelly: The subsequent release of young defensive linemen Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick mean that the two newcomers should see the bulk of the action when paired up in a four-man front next to Vince Wilfork. Armstead is a CFL export who brings some pass rushing skills to the table (he had six sacks last season with Toronto) while Kelly is a veteran defensive lineman who has also shown an ability to get after the passer. (He had a combined 14.5 sacks in 2011 and 2010.)

LeGarrette Blount: Not quite sure where Blount is at this stage of his career: Is he a 1,000-yard back who simply soured on playing for Greg Schiano in Tampa (thanks in large part to the emergence of Doug “Muscle Hamster” Martin?) and still has something left in the tank? Or is he a lost cause making a quick stopover in Foxboro on his way to somewhere else? (And what does all of this mean for Brandon Bolden?) We’ll get our first chance to make that determination Tuesday.

Undrafted/rookie free agents: The Patriots beat out several suitors for slot receiver T.J. Moe, while fellow WR Kenbrell Thompkins is a former JUCO star, and tight end Zach Sudfeld is a 6-foot-7, 255-pound behemoth who will be hard to miss on the practice field. They all face an uphill battle for playing time, but inevitably, at least one UDFA ends up making his mark on the roster as a rookie.

Special teams: It sounds like Julian Edelman will not be available, which means veteran return man Leon Washington will certainly get a chance to show what he can do with his new team as both the kick and punt returner. And while Zoltan Mesko remains one of the most unfailingly polite and genuinely good people in the game of football, he could be in for a positional battle this spring, as the Patriots signed Ryan Allen out of Louisiana Tech, who won the Ray Guy Award as the best punter in college football.

Brian Daboll: The former wide receivers coach — who spent the last few seasons working with the Chiefs, Dolphins, Browns and Jets — returns to the Patriots in a yet-to-be-defined role. While Daboll has no official title at this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him spending time with the receivers. He was the receivers coach in New England from 2002 through 2006, which was the last stretch where the Patriots were able to successful draft and develop wide receivers. It will be interesting to see if he has a hands-on role or will be more behind the scenes when the team hits the field this week.

Former Patriots wide receiver Chad Johnson turned himself in to police and was arrested Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on charges that he violated probation. His bail was set at $1,000.

An arrest warrant was issued earlier this month after Johnson failed to meet with his probation officer and did not show proof of enrollment in a domestic violence education class. He has another hearing set for June 3.

Chad Johnson was arrested for violating probation. (Broward County sheriff's office)

Chad Johnson was arrested Monday for violating probation. (Broward County sheriff’s office)

Former Patriots wide receiver Chad Johnson turned himself in to police and was arrested Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on charges that he violated probation. His bail was set at $1,000.

An arrest warrant was issued earlier this month after Johnson failed to meet with his probation officer and did not show proof of enrollment in a domestic violence education class. He has another hearing set for June 3.

Johnson, 35, is serving a year of probation following an altercation with his now ex-wife, reality TV star Evelyn Lozada. Johnson, who was known as Chad Ochocinco during his brief and unsuccessful tenure in New England, allegedly head-butted Lozada during an argument last August, one month after they were married. Lozada filed for divorce shortly thereafter.

Johnson was released by the Dolphins after the incident and has not played since.

ESPN’s John Clayton talks about the fact that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is scheduled to have more surgery on his forearm Monday — his fifth surgery since 2012.

Tom Brady told Peter King of SI.com that, “Going into my 14th year, I have never had more confidence in how I am throwing the football. I’ve never felt better throwing the football.”