The New England Patriots have officially ruled out seven players for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins:
CB Justin Coleman (hand)
WR Julian Edelman (foot)
LB Jonathan Freeny (hand)
LB Dont'a Hightower (knee)
DE Chandler Jones (toe/abdomen)
DT Sealver Siliga (family)
OT Sebastian Vollmer (ankle)
This means that players like safeties Patrick Chung (hip) and Devin McCourty (ankle) could be active, as could offensive linemen Josh Kline (shoulder) and LaAdrian Waddle (shoulder). Defensive end Rob Ninkovich (shin) was a last minute addition after flying down to join the team after spending an extra day in the New England facilities.
It still remains to be seen how much players like Chung and McCourty will be utilized, as rookie Jordan Richards and veteran Duron Harmon were asked to fill in last week against the Jets. There's no question that the secondary is better with Chung and McCourty on the field, but the coaching staff could feature a rotation in order to reduce injury risk.
The offensive line will be a point of concern as the Patriots with yet another starting line-up. Hopefully quarterback Tom Brady will get enough time in the pocket, although the possible (limited?) return of wide receiver Danny Amendola (knee) could help relieve some pressure.
EDIT: Chung, McCourty, Kline and Waddle are all officially active.
The Dolphins have made the following players inactive:
Dolphins inactives. #NEvsMIA pic.twitter.com/eDHJWV0Job
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 3, 2016
The Dolphins offensive line and linebacker corps will be fairly dismantled, so hopefully the Patriots can take advantage.