FOXBORO, Mass. — For those impatiently awaiting Tommy Kelly‘s return to the field, it could be a while.
The big defensive tackle limped through the Patriots’ locker room on Friday with a sleeve on his knee. He declined to speak to reporters. Kelly went down in Week 5 against the Bengals with a non-contact knee injury. Since he hasn’t been placed on injured reserve, there’s a very slim chance it’s a season-ending injury.
Since it was a non-contact play, it’s likely some sort of sprain or slight tear. Chris Jones and Joe Vellano have done well in Kelly’s place, but the defensive line will be much better once he comes back.
Kelly has played three-technique defensive tackle and nose tackle during his career. Since none of Jones, Vellano or Marcus Forston are prototypical nose tackles, it may make sense to start Kelly off at that position when he comes back.
–Aqib Talib didn’t talk to the media at all this week. Typically, healthy players talk at least once during the week. Talib always talks. Injured players, like Kelly, typically shy away from media availability, unless they’re a player like Rob Gronkowski, who is required to talk once a week. Talib is dealing with a hip injury. If I was to read the tea leaves, I would say his status for this week could be in doubt.
–Josh Boyce walked into the locker room wearing a No. 10 pinny. That means he was probably mimicking Brandon Gibson for at least some of practice. He told Nick Underhill of MassLive.com that he was playing as everyone out on the practice field.
-Just from seeing him walk around the locker room, Andre Carter does not look like he’s been out of football for the last few months. The 34-year-old is in great shape.
-I briefly spoke to Julian Edelman about the wide receiver speaking to a social media class at Emerson College on Thursday night. He said it was just nice to be back at college. He called it a “hip school.” It must be. It was my alma mater.
–Armond Armstead and Mark Harrison were not around on Friday. Armstead was in the locker room earlier this week, but Harrison hasn’t been spotted at all lately.
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