Patriots Assistant Coach Releases Major Statement About Duke Dawson’s Progress

New England Patriots linebacker coach Brian Flores said Duke Dawson did a really good job in his effort to get back to the field since returning from injured reserve. The Patriots’ de facto defensive coordinator had good words for Dawson.

New England received limited contribution from this year draft picks because Isaiah Winn, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Christian Sam, Ryan Izzo and Braxton Berrios were placed on injured reserve. Rex Burkhead is expected to return from injured reserve.

Dawson came back at practice for three weeks. He suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason, and was activated last week. Dawson will join the team on Sunday in the game against the New York Jets.

“Duke kept himself involved while he was down for that period. I think he’s come in. He’s a hard worker. Obviously he’s a smart kid. He’s done everything possible to get himself back up to speed, in practice and meetings and walkthroughs and do a little big extra. Everyday he’s got to come in and do a great job of preparation, a great job in practice and we’ll see where it goes from there,” Flores said.

Flores believes that Dawson should get fully acclimated, and then focus on his roles on the field.

“We’re trying to get him caught up on everything across the board. We’re trying to help him become the best overall player he can be. Obviously there’s specific roles and specific situations we’re trying to put guys in. If that’s what the games plan calls for that’s that he or any other player would focus in on,” Flores said.

Duke Dawson is a second-round pick out of Florida, and the Patriots could really use his skills. The team is getting ready for their next few games, and the Jets are the first on their list. Will the Patriots keep things at this pace?