Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald reports that New England Patriots defensive lineman Ron Brace's injured ankle is just a sprain, and may only require a few days off.

Brace had 7 tackles and a quarterback sack against the St. Louis Rams on Thursday night, a solid performance dampened by concern about his ankle, which required an MRI on Friday.

The 40th overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Boston College, Brace (6-3, 330) started two of nine games as a rookie, totaling just 8 tackles. Brace is expected to play a larger role on the Patriots' defensive line with Jarvis Green departing in free agency and Ty Warren landing on injured reserve with a hip injury.