Wes Schweitzer

Patriots Place OL Wes Schweitzer On Reserve/Retired List

Not long after Ronald Darby went from offseason free agent signing to retiree, Wes Schweitzer is traveling the same path. The Patriots placed the offseason pickup on their reserve/retired list Tuesday.

Assuming this is it for the veteran offensive lineman, he will close his NFL service with nine seasons of work spent in Atlanta, Washington and New York. Following his two Jets seasons, Schweitzer signed a one-year deal worth $1.56MM in mid-March. The Patriots pact included just $150K guaranteed.

A 62-game starter, Schweitzer played in only 10 contests with the Jets (on a two-year, $5MM deal) over the past two seasons. The 2025 season would have been an age-32 campaign for Schweitzer, who managed to become an NFL regular as a sixth-round Falcons draftee out of a mid-major program. He had been competing for a guard spot during the Pats’ offseason program, as the team signed Garrett Bradbury to take over at center.

Schweitzer brought experience at center but spent most of his NFL days at guard. The San Jose State alum surpassed the 300-snap mark at both center (2021) and right guard (’22) with Washington, doing so after splitting time (nearly 1,000 snaps) at left and right guard for the 2020 Washington squad that made the playoffs at 7-9. Schweitzer had signed a three-year, $13.5MM Washington contract in 2020; that became his most notable NFL agreement, one he played out.

The Falcons, however, served as the most notable stop for Schweitzer. Drafting him 195th overall in 2016, Atlanta did not use him in a game during its Super Bowl LI season but deployed him as a full-time starter in Year 2. Schweitzer started 16 games at right guard during the Falcons’ most recent playoff season (2017) and made 33 more starts with Atlanta until his rookie contract expired. Pro Football Focus graded Schweitzer as a top-20 guard in 2020, as the Falcons paired him with first-rounder Chris Lindstrom, helping to command that free agency accord.

Schweitzer landed on IR in both Jets seasons, with the 2023 season featuring two such placements (and two return designations). This came after a concussion keyed a 2022 IR trip in Washington. A hand injury sent Schweitzer to IR before Week 1 last year, and he missed three months. A late-season activation from IR commenced. For his career, Schweitzer will retire having earned more than $21MM.

Patriots Rumors: Moses, LG, UDFAs

At 34 years old, Morgan Moses is still playing at a level that garners the three-year, $24MM deal he signed with the Patriots. If he’s able to play out the entirety of his contract, he’ll be 37 years old when he hits free agency again; for reference, the oldest offensive tackle currently in the NFL is Trent Williams at 36.

One usually doesn’t make it this long in the NFL without a couple of bumps and bruises along the way. After only playing eight games as a rookie, Moses played in every game of every season for eight straight years. His past two seasons in Baltimore and New York, though, saw him miss three games apiece as Father Time starts to catch up to him. After missing two games early last year, Moses reportedly played through a grade 2 MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for several weeks.

Moses was reportedly “given a clean bill of health” from the Jets’ medical staff before free agency, and according to Mike Reiss of ESPN, that came following some offseason knee surgery. As he comes back from surgery, Moses has not been participating in full-team drills at practice. Still, he’s been plenty involved despite not practicing, mentoring rookie first-round tackle out of LSU Will Cambell, who it’s presumed will be starting opposite him in Week 1.

Here are a couple other rumors coming out of New England lately:

  • Last season, the left guard position became a major question for New England as Cole Strange missed all but the team’s last three games with injury and the Patriots fluctuated between Michael Jordan and Layden Robinson in his absence. Even when Strange returned from injury, he filled a need at center instead of returning to left guard. So far in early practices, that uncertainty has remained. With free agent signing Garrett Bradbury taking the center job, Strange can move back to left guard. So far, Strange has shared the position with free agent addition Wes Schweitzer, and undrafted free agent Jack Conley out of Boston College, per Reiss. Robinson is currently not a full participant, but he, too, could end up competing for the job. It’s early, but there are several potential options for the team at that position.
  • While we did cover a couple of the Patriots’ top undrafted earners (Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III and UC Davis running back Lan Larison) when they announced those signings, Reiss provided some info on a few more that we were not aware of at the time. Per Reiss, Alabama tight end C.J. Dippre earned the highest guaranteed total ($264K), followed by Chism ($259K), North Carolina defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie ($218K), Larison ($175K), Cal Poly edge rusher Elijah Ponder ($115K), Conley ($110K), and Ohio State tight end Gee Scott Jr. ($95K).

Patriots To Sign OL Wes Schweitzer

The Patriots are signing veteran offensive linemen Wes Schweitzer, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The eight-year veteran has 62 starts in his career, but just 13 have come in the last four years due to a number of injuries. He will add offensive line depth in New England and could even compete for a starting job at guard or center.

The 31-year-old Schweitzer was originally a sixth-round pick by the Falcons in 2016. He did not appear in a single game as a rookie, but started the entire 2017 season at right guard. He lost that job during the following season’s training camp, but ended up starting 13 games at left guard after a season-ending injury to Andy Levitre.

Schweitzer appeared in 15 games in 2019 and once again ended the season as Atlanta’s starting left guard. With his rookie contract expired, he signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Commanders. He started 13 games in 2020 – 10 at left guard and three at right guard – but his injury woes began in 2021. Schweizer appeared in 11 games with five starts, but went down for the year in Week 12. He struggled with injuries across the next three seasons, appearing in 17 games with eight starts and stints on injured reserve in each year.

In 2024, Schweitzer appeared in four games with 19 total snaps and just one on offense as a sixth offensive linemen. When healthy, he has proven to be a starting-caliber interior lineman, but he will need to avoid injury to earn playing time in New England.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/7/24

Saturday’s minor transactions, including gameday practice squad elevations:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Eagles starting tight end Dallas Goedert has been placed on injured reserve, so Jenkins will come up from the practice squad for a little added depth.

Jets To Activate Allen Lazard, Place C.J. Mosley On IR

The Jets will have Allen Lazard back in the fold in time for Week 14, but they will not see C.J. Mosley again this season. The latter is headed to injured reserve, head coach Jeff Ulbrich announced on Friday.

Mosley has been dealing with a herniated disk in his neck, and he has been limited to only four games in 2024. The veteran linebacker said last month he intended to return after New York’s Week 12 bye, but that did not turn out to be the case. Now, his attention will turn to recovery for the 2025 campaign.

After opting out of the 2020 campaign, Mosley posted three consecutive seasons without a major injury issue while serving as a full-time starter. His success in that regard landed him a fresh set of guarantees via an extension this past March. Only some of the five-time Pro Bowler’s compensation for 2025 is locked in, however, leading to questions about his future with the Jets in the wake of his missed time this season.

Mosley, who will turn 33 next summer, agreed to a pay cut in exchange for the guarantees this year. With the Jets set to retool around a new coaching staff and GM, it is worth wondering if this will be it for the decorated linebacker in New York.

That said, the team inserted three void years into Mosley’s contract. With $4.25MM of Mosley’s $8.25MM base salary guaranteed for next year and the void years present, the Jets would take on considerable dead money by cutting their most experienced defender. It would cost the Jets $16.4MM in dead cap to release Mosley in 2025, though a post-June 1 designation would split that bill over two years. With new regimes less concerned about dead money coming from old contracts, this could be something to monitor still.

The Jets also activated offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer from IR, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Plenty has changed since Schweitzer was last on the roster; the veteran swingman went on IR with a hand injury after Week 1. Still, the Jets have seen him return to full strength. Schweitzer, 31, has not seen action in a game this season but will have a chance to suit up and play for another midlevel contract come 2025. The former Falcons and Commanders blocker is on track for free agency at season’s end.

Lazard would seem likely to be done in New York after this season. Although the ex-Packers pass catcher showed notable improvement from a disappointing 2023 thanks to Aaron Rodgers‘ return, his contract containing no guarantees beyond 2024 — along with the Rodgers-driven nature of his arrival — points to a 2025 exit. The Jets would save more than $6MM by cutting Lazard next year. One void year is on Lazard’s contract, which includes an $11MM base salary for next season. Lazard, 29 next week, has 30 receptions for 412 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Jets Open Practice Window For Allen Lazard, Wes Schweitzer

The Jets have opened the practice window for wide receiver Allen Lazard and offensive guard Wes Schweitzer to return from injured reserve, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

Lazard landed on injured reserve at the end of October due to a chest injury after a solid start to the year. With 412 yards and five touchdowns in seven games, he already surpassed his 2023 production and was on pace for career-highs in both categories. Lazard was also leading the Jets’ receivers with a 63.6% receiving success rate and still made four catchs for 58 yards in Davante Adams‘ Jets debut despite the increased competition for targets.

Schweitzer was placed on injured reserve before Week 1 with a hand injury, his second year in a row with an IR stint after appearing in just six games in 2023. He started two games at right guard, plus fill-in duties at center and right guard in Week 8, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The Jets are currently 3-9 with virtually no chance of making the playoffs, so returns from Lazard and Schweizter won’t have much of an impact. Lazard is still under contract for 2025 and 2026 but has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal, so he could be a cap casualty in the offseason. Schweizter, meanwhile, is set to be a free agent after this season. While neither player can change the course of the Jets’ season, returning to the field could be crucial for both players’ value in free agency this offseason.

Both Lazard and Schweizter will have three weeks to practice with the team before they must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending injured reserve.

Jets To Place OL Wes Schweitzer On IR

After missing a significant chunk of his first season in New York, Wes Schweitzer will once again visit injured reserve. The Jets offensive lineman is heading to IR, according to coach Robert Saleh (via Brian Costello of the New York Post).

Schweitzer popped up on Thursday’s injury report with a hand injury. While the severity of the injury is unknown, there’s a good chance the veteran will only have a minimum stay on IR.

After inking a two-year contract with the Jets last offseason, Schweitzer twice landed on IR in 2023 with a calf injury. He was ultimately limited to six games (two starts) during his first season with the squad. In the meantime, Joe Tippmann officially solidified himself as the team’s starting center. Schweitzer is expected to play a backup role in 2024, but that gig will temporarily be held by 2023 UDFA Xavier Newman.

Injuries have been a theme for Schweitzer over the past three years, as he was limited to 18 games during his final two seasons in Washington between 2021 and 2022. Prior to that, the lineman started 54 of his 73 appearances in stints with Washington and Atlanta.

Pro Football Focus generally graded the former sixth-round pick as a middle-of-the-road lineman during his early seasons in the NFL, and the recent injuries haven’t helped his performance. The impending free agent will have to show he’s healthy in 2024 if he hopes to get a gig in 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/24

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

  • Activated from IR: DL Viliami Fehoko
  • Placed on IR: RB Deuce Vaughn

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Troy Andersen is eyeing a return for the regular season finale after having been sidelined since late September with a pectoral injury. The 2022 second-round pick started five of his 17 appearances as a rookie, finishing with 69 tackles. Andersen had 19 tackles in a pair of appearances this season, with the linebacker missing Week 2 while sitting in concussion protocol.

An ankle injury will end Deuce Vaughn‘s rookie season early, with the sixth-round pick finishing with 80 yards from scrimmage on 30 touches. Regular backup RB Rico Dowdle missed last week while dealing with a lingering ankle injury, but Vaughn’s removal from the active roster probably bodes well for Dowdle’s availability. Of course, this move will also lead to even more speculation surrounding a potential Dalvin Cook pursuit.

After starting five of his 23 appearances through his first four seasons in the NFL, Phil Haynes entered the 2023 campaign as Seattle’s starting right guard. He started each of Seattle’s first eight games this season before landing on injured reserve with a toe injury. Anthony Bradford has been starting at the position in Haynes’ place, and he could keep his starting gig with Jason Peters sidelined with a foot injury.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/23

Today’s minor moves and callups heading into the Week 14 slate of Sunday games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There was some thought that Ammendola’s stint with the Texans had come to an end after four appearances. However, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that regular starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn still isn’t ready to return from his strained quadriceps, requiring the practice squad kicker to step in for at least another week. Ammendola has connected on six of his nine field goal attempts and all 10 of his XP tries this season.

With Trevor Lawrence a game-time decision for Sunday’s game, the Jaguars are adding some QB depth to the active roster. Rourke is a former CFL standout, with the quarterback earning the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2022. Following that breakout, 25-touchdown campaign, Rourke got a look from a number of NFL teams and ultimately signed a three-year deal with the Jaguars this past offseason. He was waived at the end of the preseason and has spent the majority of the season on Jacksonville’s practice squad. Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the rookie will be the emergency QB3 for Week 14.

Similarly, the Seahawks will call up Mannion and O’Connell as they deal with injuries to starting quarterback Geno Smith and linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Smith is questionable heading into tomorrow’s game with a groin injury.

Stewart is back on the Colts active roster after having served a six-game ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Through six games this season, the veteran has compiled 20 tackles, two stops for a loss, and five QB hits.

Crosby is set to make his 2023 debut and make an appearance for a team other than the Packers for the first time since the 39-year-old was drafted back in 2007.

Schweitzer head right back to injured reserve after being activated last week. The Jets signed a lineman to the active roster from the practice squad and elevated one for tomorrow’s game to add some depth at the position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/2/23

Today’s gameday callups and minor moves heading into Sunday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Chiefs have ruled out running back Jerick McKinnon for tomorrow’s game against the Packers, necessitating some extra depth at the position. The team will turn to Prince, an undrafted free agent who has spent the entire season on Kansas City’s practice squad. Prince had a breakout season at Tulsa in 2022, finishing with 813 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.

Winfrey, a 2022 fourth-round pick, was cut by the Browns last July after being investigated for pulling a gun on a woman. He joined the Jets practice squad in early November and will finally earn his first promotion of the season. Winfrey got into 13 games for Cleveland last year, collecting 22 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

At age 36, Irvin will be making his debut for a sixth NFL team. The veteran pass rusher signed with Detroit midway through November and will finally have a chance to extend his streak of regular season appearances to 12 straight years. The only absence on the Lions’ front-seven will be linebacker Alex Anzalone, so Detroit may be looking to stand Irvin up to help the team’s depth at linebacker.