Ja’Whaun Bentley - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Expected To Re-Sign Ja’Whaun Bentley

March 18th, 2022 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Ja’Whaun Bentley is back in New England. The linebacker is on the verge of a brand new deal to remain with the Patriots (Twitter link via Field Yates and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).

Bentley recorded 108 tackles last year to lead all Patriots defenders. There was little doubt that the Pats wanted him to return for 2022, but there was also concern that he had played his way out of town.

The 25-year-old had clearly outperformed his rookie deal, a paltry four-year, $2.8MM contract for his fifth-round slot. Meanwhile, the Patriots have cut Kyle Van Noy and they could potentially lose Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins to free agency.

Bentley will be joined by new faces in the LB group, including the recently acquired Mack Wilson. There should be plenty more moves on the way, too, regardless of how things shake out with the Pats’ veteran free agents.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

December 29th, 2021 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Andy Lee
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Devon Kennard

Atlanta Falcons

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Jonathan Bullard, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Hayden Hurst
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Willie Beavers

Baltimore Ravens

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Chris Board, LB Tyus Bowser, LB Justin Houston, S Geno Stone, LB Kristian Welch
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT David Sharpe, QB Christ Streveler

Buffalo Bills

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Cole Beasley, WR Gabriel Davis, DE A.J. Epenesa, OL Jon Feliciano

Carolina Panthers

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Dennis Daley, G Pat Elflein
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: DE Austin Larkin
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Haason Reddick, QB P.J. Walker

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Mike Thomas
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Germaine Pratt

Cleveland Browns

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Nick Mullens

Dallas Cowboys

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Trysten Hill, S Malik Hooker
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB JaQuan Hardy, WR Brandon Smith

Denver Broncos

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Lloyd Cushenberry
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Calvin Anderson, WR Tim Patrick, S Caden Sterns
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Tyrie Cleveland

Detroit Lions

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Trinity Benson, T Matt Nelson, WR Quintez Cephus
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Michael Brockers, G Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Geronimo Allison

Green Bay Packers

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OT Cole Van Lanen
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Henry Black, TE Tyler Davis, DL Kingsley Keke, P Cody Bojorquez
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Jayson Stanley

Houston Texans

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Maliek Collins, WR Brandin Cooks, K Ka’imi Fairbairn, LB Jonathan Greenard, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB Neville Hewitt, LB Jordan Jenkins, DL Jaleel Johnson, DL Roy Lopez, DB A.J. Moore, S Eric Murray, LB Derek Rivers, LB Eric Wilson, C Justin Britt, G Lane Taylor
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Ron’Dell Carter, WR Chris Moore
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: K Dominik Eberle

Indianapolis Colts

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Mark Glowinski, G Quenton Nelson, DE Kemoko Turay, DB Rock Ya-Sin, TE Farrod Green
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB James Morgan, TE Eli Wolf

Jacksonville Jaguars

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Jaydon Mickens, LB Dylan Moses, LT Cam Robinson, S Johnathan Ford
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Josh Hammond

Kansas City Chiefs

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Travis Kelce, K Harrison Butker, CB Rashad Fenton, P Tommy Townsend, S Armani Watts
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Darius Harris

Las Vegas Raiders

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Jermaine Eluemunor, CB Brandon Facyson, S Roderic Teamer
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Kendal Vickers, TE Darren Waller (story)
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: G Lester Cotton, G Jeremiah Poutasi

Los Angeles Chargers

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OLB Joey Bosa, WR Jalen Guyton, CB Kemon Hall, C Corey Linsley, DB Trey Marshall, LB Cole Christiansen
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kenneth Murray, T Storm Norton

Los Angeles Rams

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais

Miami Dolphins

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Cethan Carter, CB Justin Coleman, G Robert Jones, OL Greg Mancz, LB Duke Riley, WR Lynn Bowden
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: C Spencer Pulley

Minnesota Vikings

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Dalvin Cook
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Tye Smith
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Patrick Jones II

New England Patriots

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, OLB Harvey Langi
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB Matt Judon

New Orleans Saints

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Demario Davis, QB Taysom Hill, QB Trevor Siemian, LB Kwon Alexander, LB Kaden Elliss, S J.T. Gray, OT Jordan Mills, OG James Carpenter, DT Christian Ringo, TE Adam Trautman, S Jeff Heath
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Williams

New York Giants

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Keion Crossen, DB Adoree’ Jackson, WR John Ross
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Dexter Lawrence

New York Jets

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Carter II, DT Folorunso Fatukasi, QB Joe Flacco, DL Jonathan Marshall, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen, TE Kenny Yeboah
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: LB Noah Dawkins, CB Lamar Jackson, DL Tanzel Smart
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Ken Webster

Philadelphia Eagles

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Le’Raven Clark, T Andre Dillard, DE Tarron Jackson, DE Ryan Kerrigan

Pittsburgh Steelers

Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Bryan Mone, CB D.J. Reed
Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Jackson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamel Dean, WR Mike Evans, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, WR Breshad Perriman

Tennessee Titans

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Taylor Lewan, DB Elijah Molden, G Rodger Saffold
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: ILB Jayon Brown, OLB Bud Dupree, WR Julio Jones, DB Buster Skrine, WR Nick Westbrook -Ikhine
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun

Washington Football Team

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Darryl Roberts
Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Beau Benzschawel, T David Steinmetz

Patriots Notes: Running backs, Allen, Bentley

October 7th, 2018 at 6:53pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Patriots currently have a unique situation. The team is currently carrying just two running backs after they released Kenjon Barner to make room for Julian Edelman on the 53-man roster. The team cut Mike Gillislee and Brandon Bolden right before the season, and Jeremy Hill went down with a season ending knee injury early on. Then Rex Burkhead got placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, leaving them extremely thin in the backfield.

They’re down to only receiving specialist James White and rookie Sony Michel, and they will likely add outside help soon according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Reiss writes “the team can’t expect to get by with just two running backs” and that it’s possible either Barner or Gillislee are brought back in the coming days. Undrafted rookie Ralph Webb is also on the team’s practice squad and could be called up.

Here’s more from New England:

There’s been a lot of media speculation about Dwayne Allen‘s roster spot the past couple of years, but Allen isn’t going anywhere Reiss writes. Reiss notes that Belichick “places a high value on his blocking and team-first approach” and that his roster spot is safe. Allen makes a lot of money for a blocking specialist, with an average salary of over $5MM, but it sounds like he’s in the Patriots’ longterm plans.
Reiss has details on the injury that landed rookie linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley on injured reserve. It’s a torn biceps according to Reiss, and Bentley has already undergone surgery and is rehabbing with the team. The fifth round pick had shown a lot of promise before going down a couple of weeks ago.
In case you missed it, yesterday the Patriots waived their 2016 second round pick cornerback Cyrus Jones.

Patriots To Place RB Rex Burhhead On IR

September 26th, 2018 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots will place running back Rex Burkhead on injured reserve with a neck injury, according to Jim McBride of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Pats will also place rookie linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley on IR with an unknown ailment. To fill Bentley’s place on the roster, the Pats have signed outside linebacker John Simon, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Burkhead, 28, had to be cleared from concussion protocol prior to the Patriots’ Week 3 game against the Lions. Unfortuantely, he was forced out of that game with a neck injury, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy. It’s currently unknown whether Burkhead is a candidate to return from IR later this year or if this is a definite season-ender.

In three games, Burkhead failed to get going on the ground with 24 rushes for 86 yards. Last year, he averaged 4.1 yards per carry in a limited sample.

Burkhead’s injury should mean a larger workload for rookie Sony Michel and more carries for James White. Kenjon Barner is back in the fold, so the club may opt to stand pat with those three active running backs plus fullback James Develin.

Bentley, meanwhile, is the just the latest Patriots 2018 draft pick to be placed on IR this season, joining first round tackle/guard Isaiah Wynn, second-round cornerback, sixth-round wide receiver Braxton Berrios, and others.

Simon spent one season with the Colts, but in their new 4-3 defense, he was not viewed as an ideal fit. He spent the prior five seasons of his career with 3-4 teams — the Ravens and Texans — and has worked in a starting role for the past three years.