Patriots Rumors: Injury Updates, Zappe, Perkins
The Patriots released some practice photos recently and, according to Zack Cox of NESN, some of the pictures seem to indicate the much anticipated returns of several previously-injured Patriots. These players included running back James White, cornerback Jonathan Jones, tight end Dalton Keene, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, and linebacker Anfernee Jennings.
White suffered a hip injury last year that required surgery serious enough to end his season and leave him bedridden for months. He hasn’t been fully cleared to return, but seeing him active on the field bodes well for his recovery.
Jones had surgery to repair his shoulder in October and missed the remainder of the season in recovery. McMillan tore his ACL before the season started, but impressed in his limited time before the injury. Keene and Jennings were both placed on injured reserve in August and missed the entire season as a result.
Here are a few other rumors from New England:
- New England turned some heads on Day 3 of the Draft when they selected quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fourth round. At a point in the Draft where some teams normally address their positional needs, the Patriots selected a quarterback in the first draft after rookie passer Mac Jones led them to the playoffs. For an explanation, ESPN’s Mike Reiss pointed to a discussion with analysts Todd McShay and Louis Riddick, in which they cover “how it can be good business to draft and develop quarterbacks.” He also quotes former NFL general manger Randy Mueller who applauded the pick, saying that he would rather draft for value over need at that point in the Draft.
- After not appearing in any regular season games last season, second-year Patriots outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins is ready to take the next step, according to Reiss. Perkins was buried on the depth chart behind Kyle Van Noy, now with the Chargers, and Jamie Collins, now a free agent. The departure of Van Noy and Collins leaves a hole opposite Pro Bowl pass rusher Matt Judon and Reiss reports that New England coaches are confident Perkins is getting ready to step up.
NFL COVID List Updates: 12/21/21
Once again, we’ve had a busy day of moves on and off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Here are the players who were placed on the list or activated off of it today:
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: Practice Squad CB Cornell Armstrong, Practice Squad OLB Quinton Bell
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: Practice Squad WR Binjimen Victor
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Pernell McPhee
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cole Beasley
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Artie Burns, DB Duke Shelley (remains on IR)
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Bilal Nichols
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Clay Johnston
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Mike Boone, Practice Squad WR Seth Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Jaleel Johnson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Blake Bell, LB Nick Bolton, DB Rashad Fenton, WR Tyreek Hill, G Kyle Long, T Lucas Niang, DB Armani Watts
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Chase Daniel, DE Joe Gaziano
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Von Miller, LB Christian Rozeboom
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Danielle Hunter, WR Dede Westbrook, WR Trishton Jackson
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dalton Keene (remains on IR)
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Juwan Johnson
New York Jets
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Mike White
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Michael Carter, G Alijah Vera-Tucker
Washington Football Team
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Troy Apke
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Sammis Reyes, DT Tim Settle
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/21
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Tyrel Dodson
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cedrick Wilson
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Nahshon Wright
Denver Broncos
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Brett Jones
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers (from Titans): S Brady Breeze
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Gordon
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dalton Keene
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: C Will Clapp
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Kyle Murphy
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kadarius Toney
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Justin Hardee
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jason Huntley, WR Quez Watkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: CB Saivion Smith
Washington Football Team
- Claimed off waivers (from Bills): G Jamil Douglas
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/21
Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on IR: DT Xavier Williams
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived/injured: DT Deadrin Senat
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Kendall Donnerson, DB LaDarius Wiley
- Waived: OL David Moore
- Waived/injured: DE Austin Larkin
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Gage Cervenka
Denver Broncos
- Claimed (from Ravens): LB Barrington Wade
- Signed: DT Lorenzo Neal
- Released: S Tedric Thompson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Graham Adomitis
- Waived/injured: WR Gary Jennings
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed (from Cardinals): CB Lorenzo Burns
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: OL Bryan Witzmann
- Placed on reserve/retired list: TE Nick Keizer
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DT Chris Okoye, CB K.J. Sails
New England Patriots
- Re-Signed: LB Cassh Maluia
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
New York Giants
- Claimed (from Jets): WR Matt Cole
- Signed: DB Chris Johnson
- Waived: WR Andy Jones
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Pete Guerriero
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on active/PUP list: S Jaquiski Tartt
Washington Football Team
- Waived: OL Cole Boozer
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: DL Leki Fotu
- Promoted: TE Seth Devalve, RB D.J. Foster
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: WR Stanley Morgan
- Placed on IR: CB Tony Brown
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Ja’Marcus Bradley
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: FB/TE Andrew Beck
- Promoted: TE Troy Fumagalli, S Alijah Holder, LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: CB Darryl Roberts
- Promoted: S Bobby Price
- Waived: TE Isaac Nauta
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, TE Dominique Dafney
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: RB Cullen Gillaspia
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: P Ryan Allen, C Joey Hunt
- Placed on IR: TE Noah Togiai
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: S Josh Jones, LB Shaquille Quarterman
- Promoted: TE Ben Ellefson, DT DaVon Hamilton, CB Nate Meadors, DL Caraun Reid
- Waived: RB Craig Reynolds
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: LB Asmar Bilal
- Promoted: LB Cole Christiansen, NT Breiden Fehoko
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from IR: LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
- Promoted: DB J.R. Reed
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: DE Eddie Yarbrough, TE Brandon Dillon
New England Patriots
- Activated from IR: TE Dalton Keene
- Promoted: TE/DL Rashod Berry, WR Donte Moncrief, DL Akeem Spence
- Waived: WR Isaiah Ford
New York Giants
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Devonta Freeman; Freeman remains on IR
- Promoted: DL Niko Lalos, QB Clayton Thorson
New York Jets
- Promoted: DB Elijah Campbell, LB Noah Dawkins
- Released from IR: WR Chris Hogan
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DT Raequan Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: T Chad Wheeler
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Bryan Mone
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: T Marshall Newhouse, LB Tuzar Skipper
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/10/20
We’ve got a long list of all the minor transactions from the last day or so:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: CB De’Vante Bausby
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Edmond Robinson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT Anthony Rush
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: Deon Bush, Lachavious Simmons
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Margus Hunt
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: CB De’Vante Bausby
Detroit Lions
- Placed on IR: CB Tony McRae
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jarrad Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Jordan Love, LB Kamal Martin, RB Jamaal Williams
Houston Texans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Dylan Cole, LB Whitney Mercilus, G Max Scharping
- Placed on IR: LB Kyle Emanuel, LB Brennan Scarlett
- Claimed off waivers from Washington: DE Nate Orchard
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: DL Ron’Dell Carter
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: T Martinas Rankin
- Waived: DE Demone Harris
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Natrez Patrick
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Todd Davis
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LS Austin Cutting
- Waived/failed-physical: LB Ben Gedeon
- Placed on IR: DB Holton Hill
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers from Cardinals: TE Jordan Thomas
- Waived: LB Cassh Maluia
- Placed on IR: TE Dalton Keene
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Will Hernandez
- Waived: CB Corey Ballentine
New York Jets
- Activated off NFI list: CB Bryce Hall
- Waived: QB Mike White
- Placed on IR: TE Trevon Wesco
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kendrick Bourne
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Jeff Badet
- Waived: WR Tony Brown
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/11/20
We’ll keep track of today’s late round signings here:
- The Patriots and third-round tight end Dalton Keene have reached agreement on his contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Pats have motored through their draft class quicker than most – out of ten draft picks, only one remains unsigned, as shown in PFR’s tracker. Keene, one of two tight ends drafted by New England in the third round, figures to serve as an H-Back and line up at multiple positions in the NFL. He’s a solid blocker, too, though scouts say he needs to bulk up.
Jets Trade No. 101 To Patriots
There were a handful of trades last night after we signed off, and one of them included two division rivals. ESPN’s Field Yates reported (via Twitter) that the Jets and Patriots made the following swap:
Patriots acquire:
- No. 101
Jets acquire:
- No. 125
- No. 129
- 2021 6th Round Pick
The Patriots ended up using their newfound third-rounder on Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene.
This was actually the second time on Friday that New England traded up to take a tight end. Earlier in the night, they acquire No. 91 from the Raiders and took UCLA’s Devin Asiasi. As many pundits have pointed out, this is the first time the Patriots have taken a pair of tight ends in one draft since selecting Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez back in 2010.
Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse are currently the only veteran tight ends on New England’s roster, so there’s a good chance the two rookies will see plenty of targets from Jarrett Stidham next season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: QB Nick Stevens
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DT Dalton Keene
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: OT Jeromy Irwin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Shaheed Salmon, WR Thomas Sperbeck
- Released: LB Jeff Knox
Rams Waive 2017 Draft Pick
The Rams released 2017 draft pick Sam Rogers on Tuesday morning, per a team announcement. Running back Lenard Tillery was also waived and the team signed undrafted defensive tackle Dalton Keene and UDFA safety Charles Williams to take their places on the roster. 
The fullback made a name for himself at Virginia Tech with his aggressive playing style. The Rams saw him as a tough, versatile player who could contribute on special teams. Last year, he missed the final cut but spent the year on the practice squad. This year, he apparently couldn’t cut it in camp.
The addition of Keene and Williams gives the Rams 16 undrafted rookies on their 90-man roster, plus eleven draft picks. With Rogers out of the picture, the Rams do not have any fullbacks under contract. At running back, the Rams have Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, Justin Davis, sixth-round rookie John Kelly, and Kent State UDFA Nick Holley.