Based on his most recent post to Instagram, Dominique Easley seems to be feeling pretty good at this point in the offseason.
Easley, who is listed at 6-foot-2, published a video of himself jumping up off of two feet and dunking a basketball with the caption, "Feeling a lil better."
Easley had his 2015 season cut short in Week 14 when he suffered a quad injury and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. It was the second time since being selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2014 draft that Easley finished a season on IR. As a rookie, the Patriots shut him down due to nagging knee issues.
That Easley feels confident enough in his quad to casually throw one down is a good sign for the Patriots, who will officially begin their offseason program on April 18. When healthy, Easley has proven he can be among the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in the league on a per-snap basis.
Before getting injured last season Easley had recorded 15 tackles for loss and two sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he had 24 quarterback hurries while playing in 31 percent of New England's defensive snaps, placing him third on the team through 14 weeks just behind defensive ends Jabaal Sheard and Chandler Jones.
Akiem Hicks helped fill in for Easley during the stretch run of the season, turning his strong performance into a new two-year deal with the Bears. But Easley's skill set -- an explosive, anticipatory interior defender -- is unique, and the Patriots are much better equipped to disrupt opposing passers when he's on the field.