FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With New England Patriots starting linebacker and defensive signal-caller Dont'a Hightower missing the week of practice with a knee injury, the odds of him playing in Sunday's home opener against the Miami Dolphins decrease significantly.
Let's explore the Patriots' replacement options:
Base defense: When the Patriots were in their 4-3 base defense in the season opener, the top three linebackers were Hightower, Jamie Collins and Jonathan Freeny. If Hightower is out, it likely bumps Freeny up one rung on the depth chart, and then puts either Barkevious Mingo, rookie Elandon Roberts or Shea McClellin into the mix as the third option.