Patriots Audition B.J. Daniels, Shaq Evans
- The Patriots took a look at wide receivers B.J. Daniels and Shaq Evans, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Daniels, a former college quarterback, has spent time on five other clubs’ rosters over the past three-plus seasons.
14 Players Returning From Suspension
Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.
The following players have completed their suspensions:
- QB Tom Brady, Patriots
- DL Armonty Bryant, free agent (waived by the Browns today)
- CB Jalen Collins, Falcons
- LB Aaron Colvin, Jaugars
- DT Marcell Dareus, Bills
- T Seantrel Henderson, Bills
- DE Arthur Jones, Colts
- DE Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
- LB Aaron Lynch, 49ers
- DE Rob Ninkovich, Patriots
- G Chris Scott, Panthers
- DL Damion Square, Chargers
- T Zach Sterup, free agent
- TE Darren Waller, Ravens
The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.
Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.
Patriots To Release TE Clay Harbor
The Patriots are releasing tight end Clay Harbor, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
The news comes as a bit of a surprise.
While Harbor was not a central player for New England, there were other players on the chopping block who could have been let go instead of the tight end. Harbor’s release will clear one of two spots to make room for Tom Brady and Rob Ninkovich.
After averaging 25 receptions per season from 2012 to 2014, Harbor caught 14 balls for 149 yards and a touchdown in 2015 for the Jaguars, primarily serving as a blocker. This offseason, the Pats signed Harbor with the intent of using him as a fullback/tight end hybrid. Harbor had played in three of Patriots’ first four games. He logged 25 snaps on offense and 39 on special teams but not register an official statistic, as ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter) notes.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFLPA, Brady Won’t Push Deflategate Further
The NFL’s defining saga of the mid-2010s will conclude its relevancy once Tom Brady returns from his four-game suspension Monday. Brady and the NFLPA decided to decline to pursue the Deflategate case any further, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
“After consultation with Tom Brady and our appellate counsel, we have decided to not pursue additional appeals in this matter,” the NFLPA said, regarding what would have meant taking the case to the Supreme Court.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk categorizes the move as a surprise after the NFLPA and Brady’s decision to bring aboard former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson to the legal team. However, Florio also notes the high court accepting this petition may have been a long-odds proposition that could have still featured it ruling against Brady in what ended up being a 21-month saga. Sunday’s step, though, represents a win for Roger Goodell‘s discipline power.
Nevertheless, the 39-year-old quarterback already served his suspension. He will be back to stabilize a chaotic Patriots quarterback position next week in Cleveland.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jacoby Brissett May Have Surgery
Jacoby Brissett got the start for the Patriots today after the club determined that Jimmy Garoppolo wouldn’t be able to go against the Bills. But once Tom Brady returns for Week 5, Brissett may undergo surgery to repair his ongoing thumb injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Jacoby Brissett To Start For Patriots]
After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit during a win over the Dolphins, Brissett was put into a game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and was listed as questionable for today’s contest.
If Garoppolo is able to return in the near future, New England would be set at backup quarterback, allowing Brissett to take all the time he needs to recover. Whether or not the Patriots would place the third-round rookie on injured reserve to free up a roster spot is unclear, but if the club does look to sign an outside option, former Texan/Falcon T.J. Yates has been called New England’s “free agent of choice.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jacoby Brissett To Start For Patriots
Rookie Jacoby Brissett will start at quarterback for the Patriots today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Brissett and New England will face the Bills as the club seeks to jump out to a 4-0 start.
[RELATED: Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In 2015]
Jimmy Garoppolo, meanwhile, will be inactive today as he continues to deal with an AC joint injury, tweets Schefter. The third-year pro required a shot to practice last week, and was limited to roughly 100 throws per day (as opposed to the typical gameday total of 200 or so), per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Pain management and strength had been the two obstacles to a Garopppolo start, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), and it’s the latter that will keep Garoppolo on the sidelines.
After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit during a win over the Dolphins, Brissett was put into a game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and was listed as questionable for today’s contest.
Given that New England doesn’t have another quarterback on its roster, wide receiver Julian Edelman will presumably serve as the backup signal-caller once again. Tom Brady, of course, will return from suspension and start against the Browns in Week 5.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Unsure Which QB Will Start Vs. Bills
The Patriots are still uncertain as to which quarterback — Jimmy Garoppolo or Jacoby Brissett — will start Sunday’s game against the Bills tomorrow, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. New England will likely wait to see how each signal-caller fares in pre-game warmups before making a final decision.
[RELATED: Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In 2015]
Garoppolo suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder in the Patriots’ 31-24 win over Miami in Week 2. After Garoppolo was taken out by Kiko Alonso‘s hit, Brissett was put into game for the first time in his NFL career. The third-round rookie got the job done, completing 6-of-9 passes as he guided New England the rest of the way, and then led the Patriots to a 27-0 victory over the Texans in Week 3. Brissett, however, suffered a thumb injury in the rout and is questionable for tomorrow’s AFC East matchup.
Before succumbing to his injury, the 24-year-old Garoppolo had been excellent, completing 42-of-60 passes for 498 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in wins over the Cardinals and Dolphins. At least one report suggested that the Patriots were pressuring Garoppolo to quickly return to the field — despite the fact that he reportedly couldn’t lift his arm — and he’d presumably get the start against Buffalo if healthy. Tom Brady, of course, will return in Week 5 to start against the Browns.
New England has not made any plans to sign a free agent quarterback, suggesting that the club is confident that at least one of Garoppolo or Brissett will be able to go Sunday. T.J. Yates, formerly of the Texans and Falcons, has been called the Patriots’ “free agent of choice” if they had decided to bring in an outside option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In ’15
The Patriots attempted to trade for wide receiver Terrelle Pryor last summer, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter links). However, the Browns turned down New England’s offer, and a deal never came to fruition, per Kyed.
[RELATED: Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns]
Pryor was eventually released by the Browns that fall, and ended up taking a visit the Patriots, but didn’t sign. “I really thought I was going to be a Patriot,” Pryor told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I know Bill Belichick really liked me. I had a great workout for them and everything went really well. I really thought he was going to sign me.”
After re-signing with the Cleveland at tail of end of the 2015 campaign, Pryor has grown into a force through the first three games of this season, acting been a bright spot for the winless Browns. He’s amassed 14 catches for 244 yards while occasionally factoring in as a rusher and passer. The 27-year-old is coming off a career-best showing, one in which he caught eight balls for 144 yards, ran four times for 21 yards and a touchdown, and completed 3-of-5 passes for 35 yards in a 30-24 loss to Miami.
Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi — who also worked for the Browns at one point — discussed the failure of New England to sign Pryor on the Bill Simmons Podcast. “We blew it,” Lombardi said. “The league often gives you a chance to be great and if you don’t talk advantage of it, it’s your own fault and that was one of those times we didn’t take advantage of it in New England, clearly. It was all right there in front of us and we didn’t make the right decision at that point, but that’s life. You move on.”
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Patriots Sign Glenn Gronkowski To Taxi Squad
The Patriots have added another member of the Gronkowski family to their organization, as they’ve agreed to sign fullback Glenn Gronkowski to their practice squad, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Glenn, of course, is the younger brother of New England tight end Rob Gronkowski.
[RELATED: Patriots Sign Greg Scruggs, Cut John Hughes]
The younger Gronkowski signed with the AFC East rival Bills this year as an undrafted free agent from Kansas State and cracked their Week 1 roster, but the team cut him after its opening loss to the Ravens. Gronkowski auditioned for the Patriots in mid-September, and the club has now decided to add him to their taxi squad.
In order to create a practice squad roster spot for Gronkowski, the Patriots have cut wide receiver Da’Ron Brown, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). New England had just signed Brown earlier this week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Sign Greg Scruggs, Cut John Hughes
The Patriots exchanged one fifth-year player for another on the day before their Week 4 clash against the Bills. New England signed Greg Scruggs and cut John Hughes, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Both have spent the majority of their careers as defensive linemen, but Scruggs could be tapped to play tight end for the Patriots. He played four seasons as a reserve defensive lineman, seeing action for the Seahawks in 2012, ’13 and ’15, before moving to tight end with the Bears. The Pats worked out Scruggs on Friday.
Chicago waived Scruggs earlier this week. The 6-foot-3 former defensive end did see time in all three of Chicago’s games thus far this season but hasn’t made a catch at his new position yet. The Patriots listed Rob Gronkowski as questionable again this week. If he’s unable to go, Scruggs could have a route to being a game-day active in a Martellus Bennett-fronted group.
However, the Pats already have two other tight ends on their roster in Clay Harbor and A.J. Derby, and Doug Kyed of NESN.com (Twitter link) points out the team might want Scruggs to work at his former position.
Hughes signed with the Patriots on Monday after the Browns cut him last week to create a spot for Charlie Whitehurst. Cleveland signed the defensive lineman to a four-year, $14.4MM extension in March of 2015, but the franchise’s new regime evidently didn’t think as highly of him as the Ray Farmer– and Mike Pettine-led operation did.
The 28-year-old Hughes has played in 53 games (10 starts) since coming into the league as a third-round pick in 2012. He played in one game for the Browns this season after suiting up for all 16 in 2015. Hughes has 5.5 career sacks to his credit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.