FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots and starting right tackle Marcus Cannon have agreed to a five-year contract extension, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.Cannon, who was scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the season, has turned in arguably the best performance of his six-year career. Primarily a top backup in his first five seasons in New England who had proved to be a capable fill-in starter, Cannon has become a full-time starter in 2016 with veteran Sebastian Vollmer unavailable to play all season because of a hip injury.Cannon, 28, was recently lauded by veteran offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia for altering his style of play.The improvement weve noticed has really been this year. We asked him to play a different way and do things differently, Scarnecchia said. Hes such a good guy, he really tries to do them that way, and I think hes made great strides.Hes a big man [6-foot-5, 335 pounds] that moves very well and uses his hands much better in pass protection. He can be a real force in the run game, so Im pleased with where he is. But neither one of us is satisfied, so we just keep moving forward.Asked to elaborate on how the Patriots have asked Cannon to play a different way, Scarnecchia explained the change is tied to his 34-inch arm length.He hasnt used his length, Scarnecchia said. His arms are really long, but he doesnt use them like a guy that has long arms needs to use them. The more you keep the defenders out and away from you, instead of letting them get into your body and grab things, the better off youre going to be at tackle. He seems to grasp that very well and embrace it. If he will continue to play that way, hell be fine. And he has been fine.Before the regular season, coach Bill Belichick also noted Cannons conditioning.Im sure you noticed in training camp how fit he looks. Hes really in good shape. This is the best condition hes been in since hes been here, Belichick said on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Not that hes ever been in bad condition, but Id say hes in real good condition now, and I think thats certainly helped his overall play and stamina.Cannon, who played at Texas Christian, entered the NFL as a 2011 fifth-round draft choice of the Patriots. He likely would have been drafted higher had he not had non-Hodgkin lymphoma leading into the draft.Andrew Whitworth Jersey . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Joe Namath Womens Jersey . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-David-Long-Jersey/ . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Deacon Jones Rams Jersey . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. Robert Woods Womens Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1.PARIS -- France coach Didier Deschamps selected three uncapped players on Wednesday for a friendly away to Italy and a World Cup qualifier in Belarus, while telling veteran left back Patrice Evra he needs to prove he can still keep performing at the highest level.With goalkeeper Hugo Lloris injured, Paris Saint-Germain `keeper Alphonse Areola comes in as backup, while Lille right back Sebastien Corchia and Monaco fullback Djibril Sidibe are also in the squad for the first time.Deschamps has also recalled Layvin Kurzawa, who has been in fine form for PSG, and Barcelona left back Lucas Digne. Both are attack-minded left backs but neither made the recent European Championship squad.Its down to Digne and Kurzawa to take this chance, Deschamps said. Its important to show them that Im thinking of them.But there is no place for the 35-year-old Evra, who has 80 caps for France, or veteran right back Bacary Sagna. Both played in the Euro 2016 final loss to Portugal last month.I have to think about the World Cup in two years time, Deschamps said. Its down to (Evra) to keep playing at the same level. But it seemed important to me to give some playing time and some responsibilities to the younger players.France faces Italy on Sept. 1 in Bari and then Belarus in Borisov five days later.No. 2 goalkeeper Steve Mandanda is favored to start in goal in the absence of Lloris, who wwill be out for around four weeks with a left-hamstring injury sustained playing for Tottenham on the opening day of the Premier League season.ddddddddddddeal Madrids central defender Raphael Varane returns to the squad after missing Euro 2016 because of a thigh muscle injury, while Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has another chance to stake his claim after being overlooked for that tournament. Lacazette has started the season impressively, scoring five goals in two league games.Lyon forward Nabil Fekir also returns.---France squad:Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain), Benoit Costil (Rennes), Steve Mandanda (Crystal Palace)Defenders: Sebastien Corchia (Lille), Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Layvin Kurzawa (Paris Saint-Germain), Adil Rami (Sevilla), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid).Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), NGolo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), Dimitri Payet (West Ham), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle).Forwards: Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Anthony Martial (Manchester United). ' ' '