Patriots: How New England can replace Beau Allen during IR stint

Here’s how the Patriots can replace DT Beau Allen during his IR stint.

The New England Patriots made their first roster move of the 2020 season after roster finalization on Monday, and it unfortunately wasn’t great news. As broken by ESPN insider Field Yates, the team placed defensive tackle Beau Allen on injured reserve after he missed the majority of training camp with an undisclosed injury.

Allen will now miss at least the first three weeks of the campaign after signing a two-year deal worth up to $8 million with the Patriots back in March. You’d better believe that his absence will be felt, as he was a projected starter entering camp.

It obviously won’t be easy for New England to replace the 28-year-old vet, who received an elite 72.6 grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts with Tampa Bay in 2019. However, we believe the team is fully equipped to get by until he returns.

According to the depth chart on their team website, the Patriots list Adam Butler, who’s made eight starts over the past three years, as the starter, with 2019 fifth-round pick Byron Cowart penciled in as his backup.

We honestly would have argued that Butler deserved to split time with Allen based on his performance last season. The former undrafted talent out of Vanderbilt played just 47% of the defensive snaps, but made the most of his limited opportunities, totaling 26 tackles (eight for loss), 6.5 sacks, nine QB hits and five passes defended. Those numbers prove he’s capable of handling the starting role while Allen works his way back from injury.

Where things get dicey, however, is the Patriots’ depth behind Butler. As things stand, Cowart is listed as the backup to both him and Lawerence Guy. This could force Bill Belichick’s hand in promoting one of Xavier Williams, Nick Thurman, or Bill Murray from the practice squad for extra insurance.

The de facto GM could technically sign a recently released veteran on the cheap, but considering the lack of options available, he’ll likely opt to roll with his current roster.

The Patriots have embraced the next man up philosophy for the entirety of the offseason, so we don’t doubt that they are fully prepared to survive the first three weeks of the season (at least) without Allen.