NFL Rumors: Patriots’ Vince Wilfork on track to be ready for training camp
By Jack Crosby
There have been a lot of questions surrounding New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork this offseason as he recovers from his Achilles injury. There were some that doubted whether he could be ready for training camp, much less the regular season.
More from New England Patriots
- NFL rumors: Dalvin Cook suitor maintaining very ‘real’ interest
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- NFL rumors: Patriots screwed themselves with DeAndre Hopkins pursuit
- Bill O’Brien arrival did not end the road for one disliked Patriots coach
- 3 biggest mistakes from the NFL offseason
However, as Nick Underhill of MassLive.com, who has been watching Patriots OTAs very closely, recently pointed out, it appears that the big man might be ready to get back on the field at the end of July with his teammates.
"It’s difficult to take much away from organized team activities, especially when trying to evaluate the play in the trenches, since it is a glorified passing camp. But the fact that Wilfork, who is working his way back from an Achilles injury, is this far along should be taken as a positive sign.We saw the defensive tackle increasingly take on a bigger role in each of the three OTAs that were open to the media, and by the end he was taking part in 11-on-11 drills and was able to plant his leg and take on would-be blockers. It’s too soon to tell if he will be fully healthy in time for training camp, but things appear to be headed in the right direction."
This would be tremendous news for the Patriots as they look to revamp their defense this season a little more. Wilfork, for the better part of the last few years, has been one of the more integral parts of the unit, especially when it comes to stopping the run.
With Chris Johnson in New York and Knowshon Moreno in Miami, not to mention a healthy C.J. Spiller in Buffalo, that aspect of the game becomes that much more important.