Linebacker Elandon Roberts signs with Miami Dolphins
By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Patriots exodus to Miami continues.
ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe is reporting linebacker Elandon Roberts has agreed to a deal with the Miami Dolphins. The details of the pending contract are not yet known.
Roberts is the third Patriots linebacker to leave in free agency, following Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy, who isĀ also reportedly signing with Miami. Center Ted Karras reportedly agreed to a deal with the Dolphins Wednesday as well.
In Miami, Roberts will be reunited with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who was the Patriots linebackers coach from 2016-2018. Flores also served as the Pats de facto defensive coordinator at times during that span.
The Patriots drafted Roberts in the sixth round in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Houston product played in 60 of a possible 64 regular season games during his time with the Patriots, recording 206 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, and four sacks.
In 2019 he was named a team captain, and began seeing time at fullback following injuries to James Devlein and Jakob Johnson. He ended up catching a touchdown pass on his only touch of the season. It came in Week 17 against his future team.
The @Patriots lost James Develin and Jakob Johnson to season-ending injuries.
— NFL on CBS š (@NFLonCBS) December 29, 2019
Instead of signing another fullback, Bill Belichick converted LB Elandon Roberts to FB.
Roberts just caught his first career touchdown. pic.twitter.com/LIzuJisHca
With Roberts gone, attention will turn to third-year player Ja’Whaun Bentley. Bentley had a promising start to his rookie year in 2018 before an injury put him on IR. He took a reserve role last year with the emergence of other players at the position.
2019 UDFA Terez Hall could be given a chance to earn time at Roberts’ old position as well. The Missouri product spent all of last year on the Patriots practice squad.