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The top backup was rookie free agent Justin Francis, as he came on as a sub rusher over Trevor Scott and Jermaine Cunningham. That was a role previously held by Cunningham, but his late-season suspension opened the door for Francis and now his role has been diminished. Jones didn’t play in the second half because of an ankle injury, which is when Francis’ numbers really spiked.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-top-backup-was-rookie-free-agent-justin/
patriots – Trags Bag: 10 Patriots to keep your eyes on – WEEI | Mike Petraglia
Nice nugget on one of my favorite rookies.
Justin Francis – The rookie free agent defensive lineman out of Rutgers has looked more and more comfortable using his speed, and Bill Belichick has rewarded him with many more snaps in big situations, always a good sign for a player as the team heads into the playoffs. He had four tackles Sunday night. He was in for 22 of 68 snaps. “He’s definitely improved, absolutely,” Belichick said. “I think he’s definitely improved. Last year, he played three-technique at Rutgers, so although he’s played some inside, that’s not really his main thing this year. Our defense is a lot different than what they did there schematically. He’s a competitive player, he works hard. He’s got some good ability and like any young player he’s learning through sometimes trial and error. Sometimes experience, sometimes the hard way. But he works hard to get better and I have a lot of respect for that. There aren’t many people that work harder than he does. He competes every day in practice, both in the classroom and out on the field to learn and improve, and he’s definitely improved a lot, no question.”
Justin Francis continues to impress. He dusted Waldron with the push-pull-rip move. Francis, who has shown end/tackle versatility, is going to be hard to keep off the team if he stays healthy.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/justin-francis-continues-to-impress-he-dusted/
Sounds like rookie DE Justin Francis, who was carted off, might have dodged a serious injury. Was cramping in practice, source says.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 28, 2012
