By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Patriots front office was busy Saturday, just over 24 hours before the team hosts the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night.
To start, tight end Jordan Thomas and offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor were added to the 53-man roster.
Thomas was signed on Monday, and the team was given a roster exemption while he cleared COVID protocol. He did not practice with the team this week.
Eluemunor had spent the past three weeks on IR with an ankle injury. It’s likely he will make his return against the Ravens, the team that drafted him in 2017 and traded him to New England in 2019.
To make room for those two, the team placed linebacker Shilique Calhoun on IR and released defensive tackle Nick Thurman. It’s possible Thurman could end up back with the Patriots on the practice squad, where he started the 2020 season.
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Meanwhile, linebackers Cassh Maluia and Terez Hall were promoted to the main roster for Sunday’s game. Maluia, who was waived and signed to the practice squad earlier this week, has played a special teams role for the Patriots throughout the season. Hall, a second-year UFA, made his NFL debut last week, and played well against the Jets.
Finally, the team signed fullback/tight end Paul Quessenberry to the practice squad. The 28-year-old is attempting to start his NFL career after spending the last five years in the Navy (he attended and played football at the Naval Academy), and was with the Patriots earlier this season.
Notably absent from the Patriots roster moves was an activation for running back Sony Michel. The 2018 first-round pick began practicing two weeks ago after spending three weeks on IR due to a quad injury. New England has just one more week to activate him, or he won’t be eligible to play for the rest of the season.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at Alexander.Barth@bbgi.com.