Alan Branch Suspension Leaves Rookie Vincent Valentine To Fill Void
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots defense suffered another blow on Monday as the NFL hit defensive tackle Alan Branch with a four-game suspension after he reportedly tested positive for marijuana. Branch plans to appeal the suspension, but with the four games likely to be upheld, that leaves a significant void on the interior of the Patriots defensive line.
The suspension likely leaves rookie Vincent Valentine to fill the large void next to Malcom Brown left by the 6-foot-6 Branch, who leads the team in total snaps at defensive tackle with 422, according to Pro Football Focus. Valentine has played 131 total snaps in seven games, sitting out in Weeks 5-7 but consistently playing around 16-20 snaps in every other game.
Valentine made his presence felt on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, coming up with a big tackle on Carlos Hyde for a 4-yard loss on first-and-goal from the 3-yard line. The 49ers ended up settling for a field goal on that drive. Valentine played 17 snaps in that game to Branch's 34 and should expect a significant bump in that department against the New York Jets next Sunday.
The defense will obviously look different with Valentine in the middle than it did with Branch, who was arguably the team's best interior defender over the course of the 2016 season. Valentine is smaller than Branch at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds and his Vince Wilfork-like frame earned him the "nose tackle" label from pre-draft scouting reports.
As a result, he is far more likely to be an asset against the run than the pass, even though he's played more snaps on passing downs (73) than running (58) - but that could have just been a byproduct of Branch getting most of the snaps against the run. Branch also certainly made life easier for Brown, who has had an up-and-down second year in the NFL.
It will be interesting to see how the Patriots' next four opponents - the Jets, Rams, Ravens, and Broncos - will attack the Patriots defense, which is suddenly thin along the defensive line with Branch suspended and Jabaal Sheard apparently in Bill Belichick's doghouse. They've looked vulnerable at all levels in the past two games, but with a rookie third-round pick with limited snaps now taking on a significant role, they are likely to be tested heavily on the interior in the coming weeks.
It's up to Valentine to be that "next man up" and weather the storm while Branch sits out.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
