Report: Dion Lewis' recovery from torn ACL 'encouraging'

Things appear to be looking up for New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis after his breakout campaign was cut short by a torn ACL.

Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery on Lewis' right knee, said his recovery has been "encouraging," according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Lewis visited Andrews in January for a routine check-in, and the feeling at the time was that "things were exactly where they should be, if not better," Reiss reports.

Despite the positive news, the Patriots are expected to take things slow with Lewis during offseason workouts and maybe into training camp, Reiss adds.

Before going down with the injury in November, Lewis had rushed for 234 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries, and added 36 catches for 388 yards and two more scores through the air. His presence was greatly missed by the Patriots, particularly in the AFC Championship Game, where replacement James White struggled to get on the same page as Tom Brady.