Patriots' Beau Allen: Set for sizable role in New England

Allen (ankle) is likely to take over Danny Shelton's starting spot at defensive tackle in 2020, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Shelton moved on to Detroit after starting 14 of 16 games for New England in 2019, and Allen is expected to fill a similar role this season. The former Wisconsin Badger was bumped out of the defensive line rotation in Tampa Bay last year after the signing of Ndamukong Suh, but he previously was a reliable rotational option for the Bucs. Allen went down with an ankle injury late in 2019, but he's good to go for 2020.