Patriots elevate four practice squad players for wild card game against Bills
Friday afternoon, the Patriots announced four practice squad elevations for their wild card game against the Buffalo Bills. Wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale, and cornerbacks D’Angelo Ross and De’Vante Bausby will be with the team Saturday in Buffalo.
Teams are limited to two standard practice squad elevations. Beyond that, teams can elevate one player for each player they have currently on the reserve/COVID list. Because the Patriots currently have two players on the COVID list in cornerbacks Jalen Mills and rookie Shaun Wade, the team was afforded the two extra spots. There was some hope that Mills, who has played 90 percent of the team’s defensive snaps this year, would be able to clear the protocols in time for the game due to the new league requirements for coming off the list. However the extra elevations, with two of the four players elevated being cornerbacks, strongly suggest he won’t be able to return in time.
With Mills and Wade likely out, the cornerbacks could end up seeing time on the field Saturday night, while Ekuale and Wilkerson present intriguing additions as well. Here’s a closer look at the four players the Patriots are temporarily promoting for their playoff opener…
For more on the Patriots’ matchup with the Bills, check out the latest Patriots preview podcast with Phil Perry. You can listen to it below.
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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 [email protected].