Kony Ealy’s position on the Patriots roster "is far from set in stone," according to a league source, who corroborated an earlier report that the team has -- at some point this summer -- shopped around to gauge Ealy’s value.
Despite being in his fourth year, Ealy played 41 snaps Saturday in the second preseason game in Houston. That was second most on the team, behind only undrafted rookie Harvey Langi. With that defensive-end position lean because of injuries and Rob Ninkovich’s retirement, someone had to get those snaps, but Ealy still played nearly double the amount two more undrafted rookies -- Adam Butler (24) and Caleb Kidder (21).
“They made calls,” confirmed the league source, adding, “That’s telling when you consider what they have at that spot.”
Ealy has gotten off to an erratic start with the Pats (detailed here by Phil Perry), but appeared to make some headway during joint practices with the Texans prior to that preseason game. In the game he had 3 1/2 quarterback pressures, an indication that that first-round talent/second-round pedigree hasn’t disappeared. But the inconsistency that plagued Ealy in Carolina has carried over his brief stint in Foxboro.
“He’s got a ton to play for,” said one AFC scout. “There’s a lot of money on the table if he can tap into that talent.”
But, as has been the case with Ealy thus far, that’s not something he’s always been willing to dig deep to find.
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