Patriots wide receiver Amara Darboh, who was released on Tuesday just two days after he was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks, probably didn’t even have time to unpack his bags or check into his Foxboro-area hotel.
A depth addition on the part of the Patriots after Darboh hauled in just eight catches for 71 yards with the Seahawks a season ago, the decision comes as a result of the 24-year-old wideout needing surgery, according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
#Patriots are waiving WR Amara Darboh, as @FieldYates said. Source adds that Darboh is having surgery today. Unclear what type but that’s the reason for the transaction and his short stint in NE.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 4, 2018
Darboh essentially confirmed that with his tweet posted shortly after word of his release from the Patriots broke.
The past month been crazy but I never question Gods plan & the path he has set for me. Happy to say surgery went well????????Now its time to get right for the 2019 season‼️ pic.twitter.com/XQzUBAEgJe
— Amara Darboh ???????? (@Freetownsfinest) September 4, 2018
Barring another transaction, Darboh’s release will leave the Patriots with just four legitimate wide receivers — Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Chad Hansen — available for their Week 1 head-to-head with the Houston Texans. Special teams ace Matthew Slater is listed as a wideout but has just a single catch in his NFL career to date, and Julian Edelman is missing the first four games of the regular season due to a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
To fill Darboh’s spot on the 53-man roster, the Patriots have brought offensive lineman Brian Schwenke back into the frame. Schwenke, a Tennessee Titan for the previous five seasons, was released as part of the team’s mass cutdown this past Saturday.
The Patriots also signed wide receiver Jace Billingsley and offensive tackle Eric Smith to the practice squad.