Patriots To Activate C David Andrews
After Shaq Mason‘s recent return to practice from the Patriots’ reserve/COVID-19 list, the team will have another starter back Sunday. David Andrews will come off IR ahead of the Pats’ Week 7 game, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets.
Andrews has missed 19 of the past 21 Patriots games, being shelved for the 2019 season because of blood clots and missing the past three New England contests because of a thumb injury. He and Mason’s returns will be key for a Pats team coming off a home upset loss to the Broncos.
Prior to Andrews’ run of bad luck, he had started all but four of New England’s games since the start of the 2015 season. The Pats’ offense has looked considerably worse in Andrews’ absence the past three weeks, though other factors have contributed to that.
New England will be without right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor — placed on IR this week — but is set to have four of its five Week 1 starters back Sunday against the 49ers. The non-Week 1 starter set to play Sunday — sixth-round rookie Michael Onwenu — has been a pleasant surprise. Onwenu has played right tackle and both guard spots this season, doing so because of the Patriots’ litany of injuries up front. He will likely see time at right tackle against San Francisco.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: DT Justin Zimmer
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Trent Scott, K Joey Slye
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: CB Chris Jones
- Placed on IR: DE Julian Okwara
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Byron Cowart, G Shaq Mason, DE Derek Rivers
- Placed on IR: T Jermaine Eluemunor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Matt Pryor
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: LB Joe Walker
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on IR: DB Delano Hill
Washington Football Team
- Signed off Packers’ practice squad: WR Robert Foster
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
As shown by Le’Veon Bell‘s recent deal with the Chiefs, big name free agents can come available at any point throughout the season. His contract wasn’t particularly pricey, but teams like to keep cash on hand during the year, especially when mulling potential trades before the deadline. Excess cap room can also be rolled over from year-to-year and give clubs the opportunity to lock up their most valuable players with extensions.
Here are the most recent figures for each team, via Over The Cap:
- Cleveland Browns – $33.1MM
- New York Jets – $27.9MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $23.9MM
- Washington Football Team – $23.6MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars– $22.9MM
- New England Patriots – $22.9MM
- Denver Broncos – $19.7MM
- Detroit Lions – $17MM
- Philadelphia Eagles– $18MM
- Miami Dolphins – $15.8MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $10.4MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $9.6MM
- Cincinnati Bengals– $9MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $9MM
- Arizona Cardinals– $8.9MM
- Chicago Bears – $8.4MM
- Tennessee Titans – $8.3MM
- Houston Texans – $8.1MM
- Los Angeles Chargers — $8MM
- New Orleans Saints – $8MM
- Green Bay Packers – $7.7MM
- New York Giants – $7.2MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $7MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $6.3MM
- Carolina Panthers – $6.2MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $5.8MM
- Buffalo Bills – $5MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $4MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $4MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $2MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.4MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $158K
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Albert Huggins
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Nate Meadors
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Mason Kinsey
- Cut: WR Devin Ross
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DE Shareef Miller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Mazzi Wilkins
Patriots Place Sony Michel, Shaq Mason, Derek Rivers On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Just as the Patriots took their two highest-profile players off the reserve/COVID-19 list, they placed three more players on it. Sony Michel, Shaq Mason and Derek Rivers landed on the list Saturday, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Michel has tested positive, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports (on Twitter). Mason and Rivers have not. Although Michel was on New England’s IR list, this is certainly a situation to monitor for the league. The NFL moved the Patriots’ Week 4 game to Monday after Cam Newton‘s positive test surfaced the previous Saturday and postponed the Denver-New England Week 5 game to the following Monday and then, after another Pats positive test emerged Sunday morning, delayed it another week.
Players do not have to test positive for the coronavirus to be placed on teams’ COVID lists; they can land on there if they are deemed close contacts of someone who has tested positive. The Pats took Newton and Stephon Gilmore off their list this week but still have multiple players on it. James Ferentz and defensive end Byron Cowart were already on New England’s COVID list.
Approaching 4pm CT Saturday, the Pats’ Week 6 game against the Broncos remains scheduled for noon Sunday. The NFL was aware of the team’s impending Saturday adjustment to its COVID list, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, the Pats did not resume practice until Thursday — after their game against the Broncos was moved off its Monday date — and canceled their in-person workouts Friday because of another positive test.
Michel has been on New England’s IR list since before their Week 4 game against the Chiefs; Mason missed Week 4 and was questionable for Week 6. The Pats will be down Mason and Ferentz from their starting O-line on Sunday, should the game remain scheduled. Rivers has played 21% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps this season; the defensive end has 1.5 sacks.
To help with depth, the Pats have elevated tackle Caleb Benenoch, tight end Rashod Berry, defensive end Nick Thurman and wide receiver Isaiah Zuber from their practice squad to their active roster.
Jaguars PS Player Tests Positive For COVID-19
The Jaguars announced that a player on their practice squad has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the team will be holding virtual meetings today, and their game against the Lions tomorrow is still expected to be played.
“Last night, we received results from our daily PCR testing that revealed an individual on our practice squad tested positive for COVID-19,” the team said in a statement. “After confirming the positive test, our organization began working with the NFL to review contact tracing data while the player self-isolated.
“As a precautionary measure for today, we made the decision to conduct our football activities remotely while following the NFL protocols and recommendations. This decision was made in consultation with the NFL and the team’s medical advisors. The health and safety of our players, coaches and staff, as well as their families, as our top priority.”
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that every member of the organization received rapid-result tests this morning.
While the news isn’t great in Jacksonville, it’s a bit better in New England. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that the Patriots opened their team facility on Saturday. The Pats join the Colts and Falcons among teams that have reopened facilities over the past 24 hours. New England canceled practice on Friday after another player tested positive for COVID-19.
Patriots Place C James Ferentz On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Despite the Patriots canceling their Friday practice, their game against the Broncos remains on schedule for noon CT on Sunday. New England, however, will not have its current starting center for that contest.
The Patriots are placing James Ferentz on their reserve/COVID-19 list, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Pats canceled their Friday workout after another positive test. It is not certain if Ferentz tested positive, with players not having to do so to be placed on the COVID list, but this is another setback for the team and a concern for the league.
Ferentz started New England’s Week 4 game in Kansas City for David Andrews, who resides on the Pats’ IR list. While the Patriots are slated to have Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore back in Week 6, the former will play behind a reconfigured line. Ferentz, a former Bronco in his fourth season with the Patriots, has played in 18 games with his current team and started three.
The Pats placed Andrews on IR in late September; Andrews missed all of last season due to a blood clot issue. New England could use guard Joe Thuney at center and play versatile rookie Michael Onwenu at left guard. Onwenu has already seen action at both guard spots and right tackle, despite being a sixth-round pick. Right guard Shaq Mason got in two limited practices this week. Mason missed Week 4 with a calf injury.
Both the Patriots and Broncos have been informed the game is still on for Sunday, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes no contingency plan currently exists (Twitter link). Were the NFL to delay this game again, no bye week-related fix can be made. The league already postponed this game one week. This obviously remains a situation to monitor over the next two days.
Patriots Cancel Practice Due To COVID-19 Positives
The Patriots canceled Friday’s practice after another player tested positive for COVID-19, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). They’ve also received another positive on the team, though that test is being rechecked to confirm.
The Pats are going ahead with virtual meetings today, but Sunday’s game against the Broncos is now in flux. That game, of course, was already delayed one week due to previous Patriots positives. Both teams have already burned their bye weeks, so it would be difficult to reschedule the games to be played any later than Monday or Tuesday. Unfortunately, playing the game early next week won’t be an option if the Patriots are not quickly cleared from coronavirus protocols.
Meanwhile, the Colts announced that their previously reported four positives have come back negative after being re-tested. Their game against the Bengals will go on as planned. The Patriots will keep their fingers crossed for a similar outcome. Meanwhile, the league has launched an investigation into their recurring testing issues, which have brought back a number of false positives throughout 2020.
Stephon Gilmore Returns To Practice
The Patriots are set to have both Cam Newton and their top defender back Sunday when they host the Broncos. Stephon Gilmore was back at Pats practice Thursday, having returned from his stay on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
Newton and Gilmore each tested positive for the coronavirus, and these results led to the NFL postponing Week 5’s Denver-New England game to Week 6. Gilmore learned he tested positive Oct. 7. Two more Patriot players tested positive following the stars’ results. But both standouts are on track to return. In Gilmore’s case, he will be eligible to come back after not missing a game. Newton, who also returned to practice Thursday, missed the Pats’ Week 4 contest in Kansas City.
Gilmore helped the shorthanded Patriots stay close to the Chiefs for a while in their Week 4 loss. Last season, the former first-round pick intercepted six passes and became the first cornerback to win the defensive player of the year award in 10 years. The 30-year-old defender remains the anchor of New England’s top-flight secondary and received a pay bump earlier this year.
The Pats did not practice Wednesday but returned to their facility Thursday. After their game against the Broncos was rescheduled three times, it is currently slated to start at noon CT Sunday.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: OL Sam Mustipher
- Placed on IR: G James Daniels
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Robert Jackson
New England Patriots
- Signed off Jaguars’ practice squad: DL Carl Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cameron Batson, WR Adam Humphries
Washington Football Team
- Claimed (from Eagles): DE Casey Toohill