FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Relaying a random act of kindness by New England Patriots defensive end Derek Rivers also sparked thoughts of how his presence on the field might affect the team's pass rush in 2018. Rivers, whose recovery from a torn ACL last August is progressing and has him on target for the 2018 season, set Youngstown State's school record with 41 career sacks.
One of the Patriots' goals this offseason has been to add more depth in this area.
In 2016, the four-man rotation of Chris Long, Jabaal Sheard, Rob Ninkovich and Trey Flowers was effective, and having four quality players kept everyone fresh with a good rotation.