I guess here's your best case scenario for him - Trey Flowers.
The Patriots run a lot of odd fronts and they line Flowers up everywhere. They'll run him out of the 0 tech in odd fronts on occasion and just have him try to split gaps. But they also often run him out of 7 and 9 techniques (and frankly, all points in between).
I think that's your hope for Speaks. And Flowers isn't exactly a technique player - he just battles. His athleticism plays up a lot from the DL and I think Speaks can be roughly that kind of player.
If he's gonna keep playing in the 290 range, I don't think he has much utility long-term (occasional coverage sacks now be damned). But if he can get into that 260-270 range, I think he can be a genuine asset at several spots along the line who naturally settles in as a 4-3 DE. I just don't think he has the wingspan to do that in a 3-4 or basic mass to be effective more than a few snaps at a time inside.
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