While injuries have been an issue for Easley, it's hard not to wonder if there is more to the story here. Patriots coach Bill Belichick called Easley an "explosive player that is very disruptive" before last season. Easley only played 275 snaps last year, but he looked like one of the team's best defensive players when healthy. To put it in perspective: ProFootball Focus ranked him as the No. 12 defensive tackle in the league despite the limited playing time.