Patriots Gridiron News 10/26: Dion Lewis Could Practice This Week

New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis could return to practice this week.

Is Dion Lewis close to returning to the practice field? New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed that question with reporters Tuesday morning in a conference call.

"“We’ll have to talk with our medical and conditioning staff and kind of get a sense of where everybody is and then figure that out from when practice starts on Wednesday,” Belichick said. “So we’ll take a look at that information and see where we are and then make a decision on it prior to Wednesday’s practice.”"

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Although not definitive, the response was different from a week ago when Belichick made it clear that Lewis nor guard Tre’ Jackson was expected to practice ahead of the Week 7 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With the play of LeGarrette Blount and James White, there isn’t much of a rush to get Lewis back on the field, but the dynamic running back would certainly add to an already potent offense.

Once Lewis begins practicing, the Patriots will have 21 days to add him to the active roster. If they fail to do so, they can return him to injured reserve and give it another go next season. The same would hold true for Jackson as well. The guard out of Florida State could be more of a need for the Patriots along the offensive line than Lewis may be right now in the running game.

All eyes will be on Gillette Stadium Wednesday to see if either player takes the field.

Patriots remain No. 1: The New England Patriots sit atop the Week 8 NFL power rankings. With a road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots are now 6-1. The Seattle Seahawks come in at No. 2 and the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and the previously undefeated Minnesota Vikings round out ESPN’s power rankings.

A.J. Derby trade: The Patriots traded promising tight end A.J. Derby to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday. The deal will bring New England a fifth-round pick, but now there is a lack of depth at the tight end position behind Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett. The Patriots will find a way to figure that out, but Derby now has an opportunity to show what he can do this season.

"“A.J. is a young tight end who can help us immediately,” Broncos GM John Elway said in a team press release. “He has tremendous upside and will fit in well on our team.”"

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