Patriots Notes: Langi, Lewis
- Patriots linebacker Harvey Langi is likely to miss the remainder of the 2017 campaign after being involved in a car accident last week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Langi and his wife reportedly suffered serious injuries after being rear-ended last Friday, but thankfully the issues are not thought to be life-threatening. Still, Langi’s back injury is apparently significant enough to rule him out for the rest of the season. A highly sought-after undrafted free agent earlier this year, Langi had only appeared in one game for New England.
- Cornerback Ryan Lewis is now earning an active roster salary rate ($465K) as a member of the Patriots‘ practice squad, and that’s because the Bills recently expressed interest in adding Lewis to their 53-man roster, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Instead of signing with Buffalo, however, Lewis opted to stick with New England’s taxi squad given his familiarity with the Patriots’ coaching staff. Lewis, an undrafted Pitt product who originally signed with the Cardinals earlier this year, managed two sub-4.40 40-yard dash times during the predraft process, but his “lack of experience shows up on tape,” according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
LB Shea McClellin Returns To Practice
Patriots LB Shea McClellin headlines the list of IR-DTD players who started practicing this week, which comes courtesy of Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter Link). McClellin has been recovering from an undisclosed injury he suffered during training camp. It’s an encouraging development for Bill Belichick as the Pats are heavily in need of capable pass rushers. The three other players who returned to practice were Chargers LB Denzel Perryman, Ravens CB Maurice Canady and Falcons LB LaRoy Reynolds.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/16/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- DT Shakir Soto; S Maurice Alexander (link)
Baltimore Ravens
- LB Steven Johnson (link)
Detroit Lions
- QB Taylor Heinicke; WR Kenny Lawler; TE Jason Croom (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WRs Corey Brown, Noel Thomas (link via Mark Long of the Associated Press); G Thomas Evans; OTs Javarius Leamon, Storm Norton; DBs Ronald Martin, L.J. McCray (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- WRs Daniel Braverman, Frankie Hammond, Tim Patrick (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
New England Patriots
- QB Garrett Grayson; WRs Tim Patrick, Deonte Thompson; DE Jhaustin Thomas; LBs Boseko Lokombo, Marcus Rush (all Twitter links via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New Orleans Saints
- RB Shaun Draughn (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
San Francisco 49ers
- P Brock Miller (link)
Updates On McClellin, Mitchell, Valentine
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Patriots LB Shea McClellin, who is eligible to begin practicing this week after opening the season on IR, appears to be close to returning to the field. WR Malcolm Mitchell , however, is not close to returning, and he may not be back this year. DT Vincent Valentine, who went on IR on September 22, could be back at some point this season.
Stephon Gilmore Out For Week 6
The Patriots will be without two of their top cover men against the Jets. A late addition to the Pats’ injury report, Stephon Gilmore is out for Sunday’s game with a concussion. Gilmore was not listed on New England’s injury report prior to Saturday, but Josina Anderson of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) the cornerback had experienced headaches since the Buccaneers game nine days ago. Eric Rowe is out with a groin injury, leaving the Patriots shorthanded on the outside. Gilmore’s concussion setback comes after he was a game-time decision to face the Bucs due to an ankle injury. Rowe hasn’t practiced since aggravating a groin problem in Week 4. New England did not sign anyone before Saturday afternoon’s deadline, so the team will not make a practice squad promotion for depth purposes as a result of these injuries.
- Alan Branch, though, did make the trip with the Patriots to New York after being left off the travel roster for his team’s Week 5 tilt in Tampa, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports. Branch played in New England’s first four games after being re-signed this offseason. His season’s traversing a pattern Jabaal Sheard‘s did last year. After being left off the travel list for a midseason road trip, Sheard returned a week later and finished last season with 15 regular-season games played. Branch signed a two-year deal worth up to $12MM, so another healthy scratch would certainly be strange.
Patriots LB Harvey Langi Involved In “Serious” Car Accident
Patriots rookie linebacker Harvey Langi was involved in a car accident in Foxborough on Friday night, the team announced.
Langi and his wife, who was also in the vehicle, suffered “serious” injuries, according to NESN.com’s Doug Kyed. While the Patriots confirmed Langi and his wife were hospitalized because of the injuries, they are not considered to be life-threatening, per Kyed and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
This occurred Friday night while the Langis’ vehicle was rear-ended while being stopped at a traffic light. The Foxborough Fire department reports it was a three-car collision.
The Patriots are set to make the trip to New York to face the Jets on Saturday afternoon. Langi’s designation on the Patriots’ injury report is a back injury, Reiss tweets. He is out for Sunday’s game.
An undrafted rookie out of BYU, Langi received a large signing bonus to join the Patriots. He’s on the active roster but has played in one of New England’s five games this season, Week 2 against the Saints.
Latest On Patriots' NFI Rookies
- The Patriots currently have three rookies on the various NFL reserve lists, but only one will be able to return in 2017, as Doug Kyed of NESN tweets. Offensive lineman Andrew Jelks, an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt who is currently on the non-football injury list, can come back under PUP rules, meaning he must miss six weeks of the season. After that, New England has a five-week window during which it can activate Jelks. Tackle Antonio Garcia, a third-rounder from Troy who’s on the non-football illness list, and defensive lineman Keionta Davis, a UDFA on non-football injury, aren’t eligible to return this season, per Kyed.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: T Dieugot Joseph
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Norman Price
- Released: OL Oni Omoile
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB A.J. Hendy
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Garrett Sickels
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Trevor Reilly
- Released: S Alex Carter
- Placed on injured list: OL Cole Toner
Patriots Sign TE Will Tye To Practice Squad
The Patriots made a notable addition to the taxi squad on Thursday. Former Giants and Jets tight end Will Tye has been added to the team’s 10-man group, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). 
Tye met with the Patriots on Wednesday and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. It was expected that Tye would land a 53-man roster spot somewhere in the NFL, so this is a bit of a boon for the Pats. Terms of his deal are not yet known, but it would make sense for him to be earning more than your average p-squad player.
Tye, 25, was a serviceable tight end for the Giants in 2015 and 2016. He appeared to be in line for a decent-sized role when he landed with the Jets earlier this month, but things did not work out that way. Instead, Austin Seferian-Jenkins heated up while Tye slipped on the depth chart.
The tight end met with the Chiefs and Ravens after getting cut by the Jets, but he did not sign with either club. Now, the Pats have Tye on the practice field and the timing is probably not coincidental. The Patriots face the Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Patriots Notes: Tye, Baylis, Harris
Free agent tight end Will Tye took a meeting with the Patriots today, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Waived by the Jets during final cutdowns, Tye has had a busy week: he worked out for the Chiefs last Friday before auditioning for the Ravens yesterday. Evan Baylis, a fellow tight end who went undrafted earlier this year, was also in town, per Reiss. New England currently has three tight ends on its roster in Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen, and Jacob Hollister.
- Linebacker David Harris will face his former club when the Patriots play the Jets in Week 6, but Harris may not be long for the New England roster, as Reiss details in examining Harris’ lack of play time. Harris is essentially being retained for his leadership abilities, as Reiss opined last week, and the veteran defender has played only seven snaps in 2017. A lack of base packages and Harris slow speed and subpar acumen in pass coverage have lead to a decreased role, and Harris could be released when fellow ‘backer Shea McClellin returns from injured reserve later this year.