Patriots' Tyquan Thornton: Expected to be placed on IR

The Patriots are expected to place Thornton (shoulder) on injured reserve prior to Week 1, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Assuming that's the case, Thornton would be in line to miss the first four weeks of the season and would presumably target a return to game action Oct. 8 versus the Saints. As the regular season approaches, the Patriots' wideout corps is led by JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne. Rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte profile as the top reserve options.