As I read this thread, I keep wondering why I missed the cutting of Chris Long.
Flowers and Grissom don't HAVE TO step up this year. We just MIGHT be very good with Ninkovich, Sheard and Long getting almost all the reps when they are healthy. Sure, if someone is hurt, someone will HAVE TO step up. Even then, Belichick might go with 2 players almost all the time as he did before Sheard arrived.
Long is wait and see for me. He has done literally nothing the past two seasons and at this point is more a reclamation project than a lock starter. I hope he returns to form but he's got to show it.