Despite having started 10 games for the New England Patriots last season, Ben Brown seemingly found himself buried on the depth chart entering training camp. The first few practices of the summer did little to change his outlook, but with the introduction of full pads also came a re-introduction to the 27-year-old.

By the second week of camp, Brown had moved into the No. 2 center spot behind Garrett Bradbury. The offseason addition missing time due to an undisclosed ailment then allowed Brown to return to the starting lineup, albeit only briefly. On Thursday, for the Patriots’ second joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings, he was back with the first unit.

The difference was that he played a new role: Brown was the first-team left guard, taking over a spot previously occupied by rookie

See Full Page