GNOTD: Dominique Easley Didn't Need Surgery, Will Be Fine for Offseason Workouts

When the New England Patriots drafted Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley with the 29th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, many thought that the team had potentially just made the steal of the draft. After all, Easley had the quickest first step in college football and tons of talent.

However, there was a reason why he slid to the end of the first round: injuries. Easley had two ACL tears in college and his health issues continued in the pros, as the 23-year old ended both his seasons in the NFL on injured reserve. The first one because of knee and hip injuries, the second one because of a partially torn quad.

While his health is without a doubt a concern and something to be closely monitored moving forward, Jeff Howe reported today that Easley should be good to go for New England's upcoming offseason workouts:

Good news for Dominique Easley. His slightly torn quad didn't require surgery and he'll be fine for offseason workouts, per source.

This is certainly good news for both Easley and the Patriots. Prior to his season-ending injury, Easley showed his immense talent and has been one of the best interior pass rushers in the entire league. This, in turn, helped free-up outside rushers Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich and Jabaal Sheard.

Hopefully, this is just the first step towards a full season for Easley – it would be his first one since his sophomore year in Florida.