1a. Losing linebacker Jerod Mayo to a season-ending torn pectoral muscle on Oct. 13 has forced the Patriots' other linebackers into roles and situations that aren’t always a perfect fit for their skill set. Arguably no one has been affected more than 2012 first-round draft choice Dont'a Hightower, who has been asked to do more and most recently ran into some struggles in pass coverage against the Broncos that contributed (but weren’t the only reason) to him being replaced by Dane Fletcher for the second half and overtime. While some might be wondering if Hightower is regressing, the view from here is different. It’s rare to see a player his size (6-foot-3, 268) asked to cover regularly down the field, but similar to Mike Vrabel when he once moved to inside linebacker because the team had injury issues, Hightower is often carrying out a role for the betterment of the team that doesn’t necessarily tap his best assets (size, physicality). My view is that those are the types of team players Bill Belichick wants to have around.
1b. I specifically asked Hightower about his work in coverage, pointing out some games where it was particularly solid (Steelers) and others where he had acknowledged himself that he could have executed better (third-and-20 versus the Denver Broncos). The context of the discussion was about the uniqueness of a player his size carrying out that role, as he might be utilized as more of a defensive end in some NFL schemes. If there was ever any question, he made it clear that he isn’t overweight. “Right now I’m at 268. Not exactly 270. I’m moving [in coverage] -- I’ve done it in college and I’m doing it here. Bill set my weight at 270. I’m at my weight. So as long as he’s good with it, I’m good with it. If he has any changes in mind, I will drop down.”
