Patriots Cost For Jimmy Garoppolo?
What would it take for the Patriots to trade Jimmy Garoppolo? ESPN.com’s Mike Sando (Insider sub. req’d) asked around the NFL to try and figure out where the QB’s market might be. “You get a first and a second in a heartbeat, but you ask for two firsts,” one executive said. “That is where the divide is. And the middle ground might be a first and two seconds. San Francisco got two seconds for Alex Smith, but he had already failed.” A better question might be: Would the Patriots trade Garoppolo?Given his strong play to start the season and Tom Brady‘s age, it’s possible that the Patriots would not entertain offers at all.
Patriots Audition Three
- The Patriots worked out wide receiver Donteea Dye, fullback Austin Johnson, and tight end Gannon Sinclair today, a source tells Doug Kyed of NESN. Per Kyed, the trio was likely auditioning for a spot on New England’s practice squad, which currently only has nine members.
Browns Claim OL Jonathan Cooper
The Browns have added a former first-round pick to the roster. Cleveland claimed offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper off waivers from the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Cooper, the seventh-overall pick in the 2013 draft, was part of the deal that sent Chandler Jones to the Cardinals this offseason. After having started 11 of his 24 career games in Arizona, the 26-year-old was expected to slide in as the Patriots’ starting right guard. However, the guard suffered a foot injury early in camp and did not take the field for the Patriots this season.
It’s unlikely that Cooper will fulfill his first-round potential, but he could be a useful piece for the Browns if he is able to get healthy.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Bring Up DT From Taxi Squad
- The Patriots signed defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton off their practice squad, Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports (on Twitter). Hamilton could become the Pats’ third defensive tackle against the Browns, with third-round rookie Vincent Valentine nursing a back injury and only four DTs listed on the roster.
Patriots Activate Tom Brady, Rob Ninkovich
It’s time for pure, unadulterated excitement, Patriots fans. New England activated Rob Ninkovich on Saturday in advance of the Patriots-Browns game. He will be set to return to his place at left defensive end after his four-game PED suspension concluded.
The team also activated Tom Brady, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
While these moves aren’t surprising, they officially mark the return of the iconic quarterback and longtime edge player to the field for the AFC East-leading Pats.
In addition to the suspension, Ninkovich suffered a torn triceps muscle in August. Both Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long have played more than 70 percent of the Patriots’ snaps at defensive end, so Ninkovich might not return to the starter’s role he held immediately, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald estimates. The 32-year-old veteran has started since the 2010 season for the Pats and has been the longest-tenured performer on their defense, starting in all 16 games in each of the past five seasons.
Both Long and Sheard have five quarterback pressures, and the former Browns edge presence leads the Pats with three sacks.
For the record, Brady returns from his four-game Deflategate suspension to stabilize what’s been a chaotic Patriots quarterback position.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Release Jonathan Cooper
The Patriots have cut bait with a former first-round pick. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the team has released offensive guard Jonathan Cooper. No corresponding move has been announced, but Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that the Patriots have promoted defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton to the active roster.
Cooper, the seventh-overall pick in the 2013 draft, was acquired by the Patriots this offseason (along with a second-round pick) in exchange for linebacker Chandler Jones. After having started 11 of his 24 career games in Arizona, the 26-year-old was expected to slide in as the Patriots’ starting right guard. However, the guard suffered a foot injury early in camp and had yet to see the field for the Patriots this season. The team has relied on Shaq Mason and Ted Karras at the right guard spot, and coach Bill Belichick apparently saw enough to make Cooper expendable. Cooper’s $2.39MM base salary was fully guaranteed for this season.
The Patriots ultimately traded Arizona’s second-round pick for a pair of picks. As it currently stands, the team swapped Jones for rookie lineman Joe Thuney and rookie wideout Malcolm Mitchell. Jeff Howe notes that the Patriots weren’t going to re-sign Jones, and Cooper was a throw-in to the initial deal, anyway. Furthermore, the move allowed the Patriots to sign veteran Chris Long, who has had a bounce-back season so far in 2016.
Hamilton, an undrafted rookie out of Mississippi, should provide depth to a banged-up defensive line. Back-up defensive tackle Vincent Valentine may miss this weekend’s game with a back injury, and the Patriots needed some insurance for starters Malcom Brown and Alan Branch. As a senior, Hamilton compiled 30 tackles and one sack.
Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett To Have Surgery
Jacoby Brissett will have surgery on his injured thumb, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. With Tom Brady returning this week, the Pats can afford to have Brissett sidelined as he recovers. The quarterback will be placed on IR.
Jimmy Garoppolo got the call when Brady was suspended to start the season and Brissett was tasked with the job once Kiko Alonso‘s big hit left Garoppolo with a shoulder injury. Brissett was steady for the rest of that game against the Dolphins and also led the Patriots to victory against the Texans in the following game. Unfortunately, he was not as sharp in Week 4 when the Patriots were shut out by the Bills 16-0.
Now, the Patriots have their star QB back and Garoppolo should be back in the lineup before long. Brissett will be stashed on IR with an eye on 2017.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Breer: Pats Could Eventually Trade Gronk
Appearing on CSNNE (video link), Albert Breer of TheMMQB said that he wouldn’t be totally shocked if the Patriots decided to eventually trade tight end Rob Gronkowski. When healthy, Gronkowski is a game-changing force who can terrorize any defense. However, he has had trouble staying healthy and he can sometimes be a high-maintenance player. In the past, Breer notes that those types of players have not lasted long in New England.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Kenny Bell
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Rory Anderson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE E.J. Bibbs (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Luke Rhodes (Twitter link via Mich Chappell of CBS4)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Brian Leonhardt
- Cut: CB Tre Roberson (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune)
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Chase Farris (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss)
- Cut: LB Quentin Gause
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams, LB Darnell Sankey (via Jimmy Durkin of the San Jose Mercury News)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Josh Keyes
Rob Gronkowski’s Hamstring Still “Not Right”
Rob Gronkowski hasn’t gotten off to a fast start in 2015, and it’s clear that he’s still affected by injury as the Patriots reach the quarter mark of the season. A source told Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link) that Gronkowski’s hamstring is “not right,” and also expressed concern that the star tight end’s injury “has not come along like they thought it would.”
[RELATED: Patriots Release TE Clay Harbor]
Gronkowski missed the first two games of the season, but was activated in advance of New England’s Week 3 contest against the Texans. However, as Garafolo notes, Gronk has been mostly used a blocker (a task at which he excels) rather than as a receiver. He’s only been targeted three times, and he’s managed just one catch for 11 yards.
Those numbers are a far cry for Gronkowski’s usual All Pro production level, but the Patriots have also been dealing with a fluctuating quarterback position, starting Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett while Tom Brady has been suspended. Brady, of course, will return this week against the Browns, perhaps enabling Gronk to return to his usual form.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.