Patriots Injury Report: Wendell Still Dealing With Mystery Illness
By Gregory Hunt
The injury report is rather small as the New England Patriots prepare to meet the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium for Week 3 of the 2015 NFL Season. The Patriots didn't appear to suffer any major injuries in their 40-32 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, but two new players appear on this week's injury report.
Did not participate in practice (one player)
For the second consecutive week, offensive lineman Ryan Wendell is dealing with an undisclosed illness. Last week, his illness limited his participation in practice, but this week, he hasn't practiced altogether, although he was spotted by media in the locker room on Monday. Wendell underwent shoulder surgery during the offseason and has yet to see the field this season. Due to Wendell's illness and a concussion suffered by starting center Bryan Stork, rookie David Andrews has started at center every game this season. In fact, Andrews has been on the field for every offensive play for New England.
Limited participation in practice (three players)
A hip injury kept defensive tackle Dominique Easley out of action all last week, but this week he has been practicing on a limited basis. The second-year player was expected to be a major contributor to the Patriots defense when he was taken in the first round (29th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft, but he has already missed six games in his career due to various injuries, and those injuries have limited his effectiveness for many others.
Starting linebacker Dont'a Hightower is a new addition to the injury report this week with a shoulder injury. There's no indication that he will miss Sunday's game against Jacksonville, but it is notable that he underwent surgery on his right shoulder during the offseason. It's not clear whether the current injury is to the same shoulder.
Also dealing with a shoulder injury is reserve cornerback Logan Ryan. This is his first appearance on the Patriots injury report this season. Against Buffalo, Logan was on the field with the Patriots defense for 50 of 72 snaps (69 percent).
Full participation in practice (one player)
Rookie defensive end Trey Flowers has yet to make his official NFL debut due to a knee injury he suffered in a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. He was a full participant in practice last week, but was still listed as inactive for the game against the Jaguars. The Patriots currently have a lot of depth at this position, so there's no hurry to rush him into the lineup.
Removed from the injury list (two players)
Running back Travaris Cadet has been dealing with a hamstring issue most of the season, but his removal from the injury list implies that he is back to 100 percent. However, with starting running back Dion Lewis playing so well, Cadet still may not see action against Jacksonville.
A quadriceps injury kept safety Tavon Wilson inactive for Week 1, but he saw 19 snaps on special teams against Buffalo in Week 2. He also played one snap on defense, so he'll be ready against Jacksonville if the New England defensive secondary needs help.
Gregory Hunt is a Boston native and a life-long fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. He's also particularly fond of lacrosse, IndyCar racing and women's college basketball. He currently works for Examiner.com where he serves as the Senior Manager of Content and Media Access. He also writes for Examiner.com as the New England Patriots Examiner. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
