Notebook: Stephon Gilmore present, but Dont'a Hightower among missing at start of Wednesday workout

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore (concussion) was spotted at the start of practice on Wednesday, but linebackers Dont’a Hightower (shoulder) and Harvey Langi (back), defensive lineman Malcom Brown (ankle), cornerback Eric Rowe (groin) and wide receiver Danny Amendola (unknown) were all not seen at the beginning of the workout, according to reports.



Hightower and Brown left the game late in Sunday's win over Atlanta and did not return. The severity of their injuries remains unknown, but Brown was spotted afterward in the locker room. It didn’t appear that Amendola sustained an injury in the win. Meanwhile, Langi and Rowe have spent the last several days on the sidelines. As for Gilmore, he’s missed the last two games with a concussion.

In addition, there was a player not listed on the roster wearing No. 96. An update on his status should be along shortly.

Jelks returning?

Depending on a few different things -- health, personnel decisions, etc. -- there’s a chance offensive tackle Andrew Jelks could still be part of the mix for the Patriots toward the end of the season.

The rookie out of Vanderbilt, who was placed on the Reserve NFI list in September with an undisclosed illness, can now start practicing any time. However, once he does start to practice, there would be a three-week window in terms of deciding what to do with him; he could be activated, placed on IR which would mean he’d be done for the year, or he’d be released. However, according to a league source, there’s some optimism that Jelks could still be a contributor for the Patriots this season. (Miguel adds some of the financial ramifications on Jelks' situation here.)

The 6-foot-6, 307-pounder was signed as a rookie free agent in May out of Vandy. He played in played in 24 games with 21 starts at Vanderbilt over five seasons, but missed out on the 2015 and 2016 seasons because of leg and knee injuries. He’s one of two players for the Patriots who are currently part of the reserve/non-football injury list, a group that also includes rookie defensive lineman Keionta Davis.

Morelli on the call

Pete Morelli has been assigned as the lead official for Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Chargers. The 65-year-old Morelli has worked as a referee since 2003, and Sunday will mark his first Patriots’ game since he worked last year’s divisional playoff contest in Foxborough. (Overall, New England is 3-2 in the last five games where Morelli has served as the referee.) Morelli has taken some heat this year, however, as he was accused of bias against the Eagles in a game where he whistled Philly for 10 penalties for 126 yards, while the Panthers were only hit with one penalty for 10 yards. Eagles’ fans started an online petition to keep Morelli away from Philly games. For more information on Morelli, check out his page at Pro Football Reference.

Checking in with some ex-Patriots

Here’s a quick check on what some former Patriots have done to this point in the season. (All stats via Pro Football Reference.)

Defense
Defensive end Chandler Jones: 7 games, 1 forced fumble, 8 sacks, 24 tackles
Defensive end Chris Long: 7 games, 1 forced fumble, 2 sacks, 7 tackles
Defensive end Jabaal Sheard: 7 games, 2.5 sacks, 17 tackles
Defensive lineman Barkevious Mingo: 7 games, 6 tackles
Linebacker Jamie Collins: 4 games, two passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, 1 sack, 15 tackles
Safety Tavon Wilson: 5 games, 1 interception, 1 pass defensed, 1 forced fumble, 20 tackles
Cornerback Logan Ryan: 7 games, 5 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, 21 tackles
Cornerback Darius Butler: 6 games, 1 pass defensed, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 10 tackles
Cornerback Justin Coleman: 6 games, 1 interception, 3 passes defensed, 9 tackles

Offense
Quarterback Brian Hoyer: 6 games, 58 percent completion rate, 1,245 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs, 74.1 passer rating
Quarterback Ryan Mallett: 1 game, 67 percent completion rate, 36 yards, 1 TD, 111.3 passer rating
Tight end Martellus Bennett: 7 games, 24 catches, 233 yards, 0 TDs
Tight end James O’Shaughnessy: 7 games, 4 catches, 41 yards, 0 TDs
Running back LeGarrette Blount: 7 games, 84 carries, 419 yards, 1 TD, 5.0 yards per carry


Special teams
Kicker Adam Vinatieri: 6 games, 12-for-13 on field goals, 9-for-11 on extra points.