Patriots rule 3 more out, which means depth with be tested vs. Dolphins

The Patriots announced Sunday that defensive lineman Trey Flowers, defensive back Brandon King and running back Mike Gillislee were all downgraded to out for Monday’s game against the Dolphins. What does their absence mean for the rest of the roster? Let’s take it player by player:


Flowers: The powerful defensive lineman missed last week’s game against the Bills in Buffalo because of a rib injury, and the Patriots utilized a handful of defenders in his place, including newcomer Eric Lee, who had a sack and interception against the Bills. In addition, rookie Deatrich Wise played 58 snaps against the Bills, the second-most action he’s seen all season. It wasn’t the only reason, but it wasn’t coincidental that happened with Flowers on the shelf. (For what it's worth, I spoke with a league source this week who indicated that Wise's foot issue that had him on the injury report this week isn't expected to be a problem Monday.)

King: He was on the injury report all week with a hamstring, so the decision to downgrade him is not all that much of a surprise. More of a special teamer than defensive back, his absence (and the fact that Nate Ebner is done for the year with a knee injury) will put pressure on similar players like Matthew Slater (who has been hobbled by a hamstring) to get on the field Monday against Miami.

Gillislee: The mystery man. The running back was a healthy scratch the last four games, and hasn't been seen in the locker room during media availability in that time. But he popped up late in the week with what the team described as an illness. As has been case the last few weeks without Gillislee, expect a heavy workload for the rest of the backs: Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead and James White.

These three join offensive tackle Marcus Cannon and linebacker Kyle Van Noy, both of whom were downgraded Saturday by the Patriots. In addition, it’s worth noting that several players who were listed as questionable on Saturday’s injury report, including Lewis (illness), wide receiver Chris Hogan (shoulder) cornerback Stephon Gilmore (ankle) and offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle (ankle) all made the trip to Miami.