Marcus Cannon was always expected to be part of the Patriots' 53-man roster. But it appears that their starting right tackle will not have to miss any time to begin the season.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Cannon is expected to be cleared to play in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. He's been dealing with a leg injury that kept him out of all four preseason games and most of training camp.

LaAdrian Waddle has mostly played right tackle in Cannon's place. He'll shift back to a reserve role, with Trent Brown locking up the left tackle job. Cannon's presence is an important one for the Patriots offensive line, which reportedly will be without rookie first-round pick Isaiah Wynn (Achilles) for the entire 2018 season.

Howe added that Cannon's readiness for the start of the season could cause the Patriots to choose to keep a player at another position besides tackle. Defensive backs Jason McCourty and Keion Crossen are two names that Howe mentioned who are on the bubble in that regard.

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