How will the Patriots handle the loss of Chandler Jones?

Dominique Easley celebrates, via SportsSpyder
Reports surfaced Tuesday night that Chandler Jones would be out for a month with a hip injury. Jones is the most explosive pass rusher on the Patriots, so his void will not be easy to fill.

The first option to fill his void is an obvious one to most Patriot fans: first round pick Dominique Easley.

Easley hasn't shown much so far, but he also hasn't gotten consistent playing time either. Coming out of college, he was touted as a workhorse, and likely would have been a top 5 pick had it not been for two serious knee injuries. When he finally hit the field during training camp, his teammates were impressed with his explosiveness. Easley clearly has the effort and the skill, so it'll be interesting to see how he performs with more snaps. It's possible he needs to get into a rhythm in order to be more effective. Even though he hasn't made much of an impact yet, he's a rookie adjusting to NFL life who deserves the opportunity.

The second option is Zach Moore, a sixth round pick out of Division II Concordia.

Most Patriot fans aren't as familiar with this guy, but they should become familiar with him very soon. He stands out on the field at 6'5", 270 pounds. He had 33 sacks during his career at Concordia, a school record. He has raw ability that needs some refinement, and that should come with an increase in snaps. He's an intriguing player because of his mix of size and talent, the big question is how long the adjustment from Division II competition to NFL competition will take. He's a player to watch, and like Easley, deserves opportunities.

There's no replacing Chandler Jones, but if these two players pan out well, New England could lessen the impact. It's possible they could lessen it to a point that it's hardly noticeable, but don't expect that. There will be an adjustment period, just as there will be with the loss of Mayo. The good news is this is only for a few weeks, and they have two players filling in for him with tremendous upside. \

Of course, there's always the possibility that Bill Belichick has a completely different plan to combat his absence, but to me, this seems like the most logical way to do it.

Zach Moore stats via NFL.com

-Brian Thibodeau

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