The New England Patriots are preparing for a season without Vince Wilfork. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle suffered a torn Achilles against the Atlanta Falcons and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. While the Patriots have not released a possible timetable for Wilfork, a common recovery takes six to nine months. With Wilfork gone, how will the Patriots replace him?
Wilfork has been one of the more reliable defensive linemen in the league. In his 10th season in the league, Wilfork has played at least 13 games in each of his seasons. Losing him is a big hit for the Patriots defense not only from a talent perspective, but also from a leadership perspective. Head coach Bill Belichick spoke briefly on the loss.
"I don't really have a lot of new information on that. We'll just have to see how things turn out here," Belichick said, via the Boston Herald. "But he's an outstanding player, we all know that. He gives us great leadership and he's a strong contributor on and off the field and in the locker room and everything else. We'll just have to see how things come together for him and also what, obviously if he's not there, it will mean everybody having to pull a little bit more weight on their end."
CBSSports reports the Patriots will not reach out to free agency to replace Wilfork, instead relying on talent from within the roster. One option is recently signed Tommy Kelly. He has a different skill set than Wilfork, but has been a talent in a rotational role. Undrafted rookie Joe Vellano is a predicted option, but Belichick is concerned about certain areas that need improvement.
"I think that there are a lot of things that he's improved in, in terms of technique and recognition and reaction and all that. He's still got a long way to go but definitely making progress. He works hard every day," Belichick said.
The Patriots have plenty of experience adapting to injuries. They have managed a 4-0 record despite the losses of Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski. Not to mention they have survived after replacing Aaron Hernandez. Wilfork's injury is just another hurdle to overcome. With a strong defensive core in place, this should not be an issue.
