Beau Allen was supposed to be one of the New England Patriots' biggest (in both senses of the word) offseason additions, but the defensive lineman hasn't practiced with his new team since training camp opened to reporters.
Allen, who was placed on injured reserve in Week 1, was eligible to return this week but hasn't practiced nor been designated for return. It's unclear at this point when Allen, the Patriots' biggest defensive player at 327 pounds, will return to the field.
But he has been able to help out in other ways.
"Beau Allen's been a big part of our defensive line room, helping out everyone to the best of his ability, staying real focused in meetings," Patriots defensive tackle and captain Lawrence Guy said Thursday.
"We can learn from everybody. He's been in the league for a long enough time to have good feedback, good teaching techniques. He's just doing the best he can to get healthy, to get back on the field and do his best to help out us in the room, watching film, telling us what he sees. We value everybody's opinion in our D-line room. He's one of them that what he sees is going to be helpful on Sunday."
Allen, 28, entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick out of Wisconsin in 2014. He spent four years with the Philadelphia Eagles and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing with the Patriots this offseason.
The Patriots could use the big space-eater in the middle of the defense. They rank 20th in the NFL, allowing 4.6 yards per carry through three weeks.
