With Dont'a Hightower ailing, workload for Barkevious Mingo could increase

playWith LB Dont'a Hightower not practicing for the second day in a row because of a knee injury, the Patriots must plan for possibly being without him in Sunday's home opener against the Dolphins. (0:47)FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With New England Patriots starting linebacker and defensive signal-caller Dont'a Hightower missing the week of practice with a knee injury, the odds of him playing in Sunday's home opener against the Miami Dolphins decrease significantly.

Let's explore the Patriots' replacement options:

Base defense: When the Patriots were in their 4-3 base defense in the season opener, the top three linebackers were Hightower, Jamie Collins and Jonathan Freeny. If Hightower is out, it…