Every Saturday, hot topics around the New England Patriots are explored in the form of a mailbag.

Any word on Malcolm Mitchell? — Brian Cote (@RealBrianCote) December 1, 2017

@MikeReiss with #'s of edge defenders running low, think we see old school 3-4 looks since we have a good number of DT's healthy? — Paul Beige (@BeigeAige) December 2, 2017

@MikeReiss do you think https://t.co/G0gB2wFe9T or van noy play? — Truth Seeker (@htiaab41) November 30, 2017

@tomecurran @MikeReiss Do you think Brady takes a cue from the Eli debacle and walk away if he wins it all again this year. I would. — Aqib Kibby Rasheed (@kibbykibbykibby) November 30, 2017

You think brady can win MVP this year Mike? Think he can overtake wentz? — Kyle Butler (@KyleBut11) December 1, 2017

@MikeReiss what is your take on the pats at Center? I think Karras' size has shown up in the run game above what the undersized Andrews offers. Thoughts? — Sal Bocciano (@_falvo) November 30, 2017

Hi Mike, wonder what you have on both Cannon and Hogan as far as expected to return dates, if expected o return that is, thank you — David (@Watooosh) December 2, 2017

Brian, my understanding is that there is still a chance Malcolm Mitchell , the second-year wide receiver from Georgia, returns from injured reserve this season. He has been telling some people close to him that he's determined to and that he's made solid progress coming back from his knee injury. Mitchell was in the locker room Friday when reporters were present and was in good spirits as he ducked off into the training room. The Patriots have one more IR-designated-to-return spot to use, and ultimately Bill Belichick will decide what's best for the team based on the options available to him. My sense is that Mitchell might now have the best odds to be the choice, over someone such as defensive tackle Vincent Valentine Always appreciate the X's and O's questions, Paul. A game against the Bills means the top priorities are stopping LeSean McCoy and the running game and also keeping quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the pocket and trying to make him play the traditional quarterback position. So, to me, it's a bigger emphasis on the front seven. With this in mind, it makes sense that we'll see that 3-4, or what some might call a 5-2 front. The idea is to be fortified at the line of scrimmage with bigger-bodied interior linemen, which means Malcom Brown Lawrence Guy , Alan Branch, Adam Butler and Ricky Jean Francois would be seeing more time on the field together. What piques my interest is who the Patriots employ at the end of the line of scrimmage, especially with the availability of Trey Flowers (rib) and Kyle Van Noy (calf) in question.When I asked Flowers (rib) on Friday, he didn't commit to playing, which led me to believe there is still a question about whether he will be ready. He had been limited in practice all week, but some viewed the fact that he spoke to reporters after Sunday's game and then did his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI as positive signs about his availability. Reading into that as it relates to his availability, however, might be a stretch. As for Van Noy (calf), he was also limited in practice all week but was a visible presence around the locker room when reporters were present (my hunch is that he plays).I've never been more convinced that willingly walking away after the season isn't an option for Brady. Once the Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo , it was an indication to me that Brady is indeed all-in with a goal to make it to his mid-40s, and the Patriots are all-in with him. That wouldn't change, even if the Patriots won the Super Bowl. It would only make Brady hungrier for the next one.Kyle, a lot can change over five games, so it's absolutely still a race. At this time, it seems fair to say that Carson Wentz is the front-runner. Sunday night's Eagles game in Seattle, which is traditionally a tough place to play (even with the Seahawks having some big injury issues on defense), will be a good one to assess the strength of Wentz's candidacy. Like the Patriots, Wentz and the Eagles are starting a three-game road stretch this week (at Seahawks, at Rams, at Giants) before finishing with two games at home (Raiders, Cowboys).The Patriots' coaching staff appreciates what Ted Karras brings to the team and locker room, as his work ethic and team-first approach is exemplary. He is a bit bigger, and that size and physicality shows up at times in the run game, which is a positive. What the Patriots miss without David Andrews is more consistency with the shotgun snap (in fairness, Andrews has more experience with it than Karras) and some athleticism to get to the second level and block defenders in space (e.g. Dwayne Allen 's 2-yard screen pass against Miami).

Chris Hogan isn't far off, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him back on the practice field next week in a limited capacity. He has been doing on-field work and getting his conditioning back. I'm not as sure about Marcus Cannon, whose ankle injury sustained against the Chargers on Oct. 29 was obviously significant. I wouldn't think it will be that much longer though.