McCourty cleared to practice; Mankins, Boyce, Dennard, Dobson absent

Some good news out of Foxborough yesterday: After suffering a concussion in Baltimore that left him visibly wobbly on the field, Patriots safety Devin McCourty received full clearance to practice yesterday after passing all necessary tests.

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McCourty, a defensive captain, should be at full-strength for the team's first playoff game next weekend, barring any setbacks. This is great news for the team, as McCourty has had the best season of his career this year and has emerged as one of the league's elite safetys. Despite recently being snubbed in Pro Bowl voting, McCourty has excelled in his third year with the team playing at the safety position.

McCourty has proven to be much more adept at playing safety rather than cornerback, where he struggled at times in his first two years. The emergence of 2nd-year corner Alfonzo Dennard, rookie Logan Ryan, and veteran Aqib Talib have stabilized the outside level of the secondary and allowed for McCourty to play where he is most comfortable. The secondary has improved significantly from last year's unit as a result.

According to reports Logan Mankins (knee), Josh Boyce (ankle), Alfonzo Dennard (knee), and Aaron Dobson (foot), were all missing from practice yesterday and today. This line of  injuries to key players makes the fact the team was able to clinch a first-round bye even more crucial, as the likelihood of each playing next weekend obviously increases with each additional day of rest and rehabilitation they have. The severity of each player's injury should become clearer as we near the divisional round game.

@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife