It was a mixed bag for the Patriots defense on the practice field Wednesday.
In the good news department, Kyle Dugger returned for the first time since injuring his ankle in London. The safety had been sidelined for three straight weeks and was back in a limited capacity. Dugger's return would be a significant lift to a thin safety room that's patched things together in his absence. Christian Elliss (abdomen) was also back after missing last weekend's win in Chicago.
The defense may soon get another massive boost, as Jerod Mayo revealed Christian Barmore is getting close to returning, though he wasn't out there Wednesday. Barmore has been out with blood clots since the summer and is currently on injured reserve.
"There is a chance that he would be able to practice either this week or next week," Mayo said. "There's a chance that we will get him back soon."
It wasn't all good news for DeMarcus Covington's group though, as Marcellas Dial Jr. (concussion), Jaquelin Roy (neck), Sione Takitaki (knee) and Deatrich Wise (foot) were all unable to practice on Wednesday. Without much depth to begin with, the Patriots can't afford to be bit by the injury bug. Isaiah Bolden also missed Wednesday's practice for a personal reason.
Here's the full injury report for both the Patriots and the Rams ahead of Sunday's game at Gillette Stadium: