Dont'a Hightower's Surgery Timetable Couldn't Come at Worse Time for Patriots

New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo hid his face in a towel while he sat in the back of a cart as he was taken off the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium. It was the second year in a row in which his season had ended due to an injury in the sixth week. It was also the second year in a row in which young linebacker Dont'a Hightower was thrust into a bigger role as a result of Mayo's injury.

But now, with news that Hightower had surgery to repair a torn labrum and that the recovery will take anywhere from six to seven months, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, the Patriots have been put in a bit of a bind.

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Not only do they have to address their depth, with both Jonathan Casillas and Akeem Ayers set to hit the open market in March, but there is also reason to believe that the Patriots could be approaching Mayo about restructuring his contract. Add on the looming May deadline for the Patriots to pick up the fifth-year option on Hightower's rookie deal, and it sure seems like this news couldn't come at a worse time.

The first time Mayo went down for the season, in 2013, was the first time in which Hightower wore the green-dot helmet with radio communication to the sideline, and he spent much of the season playing out of position while rookie linebacker Jamie Collins was still learning the ropes of the NFL. 

Collins became the team's primary weak-side linebacker, Hightower moved back to his strong suit on the strong side and all was right with the Patriots' linebacking group. 

Then, they had to do it all over again in 2014, only this time, Hightower was much more prepared to bear the burden. So was Collins, who was already entrenched in the NFL and in his role as a starter in the defense.

The Patriots had to make a couple of midseason trades to help bolster their depth at linebacker, acquiring Jonathan Casillas from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Akeem Ayers from the Tennessee Titans. In the end, they put enough patches in their pants to keep from being caught with their pants down and to keep themselves covered through a Super Bowl run. 

All the while, Hightower was learning on the job to potentially become a replacement option for Mayo, who has long been a leader for the Patriots defense.

Hightower's ability to fill that leadership role could have originally been leverage for the Patriots in renegotiating with Mayo. Instead, it may be Hightower's injury that gives Mayo and his representation more leverage if the team elects to approach Mayo about restructuring his deal to reduce his $10.2 million cap figure.

But even when we knew nothing of Hightower's surgery timetable, and even when Mayo was fully healthy and on the field, the Patriots were still in need of some depth at linebacker. At least now, they have all the time they need to address those concerns, and they also have all the opportunities ahead of them with free agency and the draft still looming.

But with Mayo's long-term future with the team and Hightower's short-term health both in question, the Patriots must be thinking not only about depth, but about finding players who could potentially develop into starters for their defense.

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The Patriots could bring back veteran linebacker Dane Fletcher, who signed with the Buccaneers as a free agent in 2014 and is now once again a free agent this offseason. They could also pursue D.J. Williams, who has experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses at nearly every position. The Patriots love that kind of versatility, and if they could sign him to a short-term deal, it would be a quick fix to their problem.

Quick, but not lasting.

If the Patriots want a versatile linebacker who could eventually grow into a starter, one option could be Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney. There are questions about his ceiling, though, as CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler and Rob Rang compare him to former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry, saying, "He's athletic enough to project to any linebacker role but may never become a star."

Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel even quoted a scout who compared Hightower to McKinney:

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"He's like a Dont'a Hightower," one scout said. "Big, physical guy. I think he can (play every down)." Led Bulldogs in tackles past two seasons. "We don't know if he can run yet," another scout said. "I don't know if he's a dinosaur or he's a new-breed backer." Tiny hands (9").

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But why not have the best of both worlds? The Patriots could use their first-round pick for a young player who could not only step in and play a significant role from an early stage, but could also be a long-term starter.

Washington outside linebacker Shaq Thompson stands 6'0" and weighs 228 pounds, which is pretty small for a linebacker, but would be a stark contrast to the big-bodied, thumping linebackers the Patriots have targeted in the past like Hightower and Brandon Spikes.

A lot like Jamie Collins, Thompson has lined up just about everywhere on defense. He played safety and has lined up both inside and outside at linebacker. Adding Thompson would give the Patriots a pair of chess pieces they could move around the defense to create problems for opposing offenses.

Mayo's contract could be the next domino to fall if the Patriots and Mayo end up going to the negotiating table to redo the deal. When that is done—or not done—the Patriots will have a better idea of how to proceed. For that reason, the Patriots should hurry along the discussions with Mayo. They can't hurry along Hightower's recovery, but they can at least take some measure of control over the situation.

Unless otherwise noted, all salary cap and contract information provided by Spotrac.com.