Patriots make key roster elevation for game at Dolphins

Author Matt Dolloff

October 28th, 2023 8:15 PM

The New England Patriots have made a roster elevation at a premium position for Sunday’s road clash with the Miami Dolphins.

Their move is at offensive tackle, where they have officially elevated Conor McDermott from the practice squad to the main roster for Sunday. McDermott will be eligible to revert to the practice squad after the game.

The Patriots have injury concerns on the offensive line heading into Sunday’s game at Hard Rock Stadium. Starting left tackle Trent Brown (ankle/knee) is questionable, while Vederian Lowe (ankle) and Calvin Anderson (illness) have already been ruled out.

If Brown plays, the Patriots are in position to deploy the same offensive line they did in their Week 7 win over the Buffalo Bills, with rookie Sidy Sow at right guard and Mike Onwenu at right tackle. The line appeared to solidify after the changes on the right side, although quarterback Mac Jones helped by averaging a league-low 2.19 seconds to throw.

According to Mike Reiss, Brown expects to play Sunday. But in any event, McDermott appears to be the Next Man Up™ if the Patriots suffer an injury on the O-line Sunday.

Jul 27, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Conor McDermott (75) works with a weight bag during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots offensive line and how it’s used will be something to watch for against the Dolphins, especially now that they seem to be making progress.

There was a more notable roster elevation for the Patriots earlier this week. The team officially signed wide receiver Jalen Reagor to the 53-man roster from the practice squad, effectively swapping him with Malik Cunningham. Reagor played a season-high 25 snaps last Sunday against the Bills, and made his first catch as a Patriot.

Click here for complete New England Patriots coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

Read this week’s Patriots Mailbag by Alex Barth below…

Patriots Mailbag: Looking ahead after an upset win

• 🕸️Phil and his musings: 🕸️ 🏪 on Twitter: "How do you rank, nevermind the stats, our pass catchers? And what can we do with some of the dead wood before the trade deadline? / Twitter"

  How do you rank, nevermind the stats, our pass catchers? And what can we do with some of the dead wood before the trade deadline?

  There are a number of different ways to ‘rank’ the Patriots’ pass catchers. Since we’re coming off of a week where the usage was changed up – especially at wide receiver – let’s go by who should be seeing the most time on the field.

  Kendrick Bourne should be the Patriots’ top wide receiver at this point. He’s performed the best, and his ability to produce after the catch is valuable in Bill O’Brien’s offense. After Bourne should be Demario Douglas. Douglas is the Patriots’ most explosive player with the ball in his hands, but slots in just behind Bourne as he works through some of the growing pains that come with being a rookie in the NFL.

  After those two things drop off. Moving forward it would make sense for DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster to rotate as the third receiver when the Patriots are in 11 personnel. While each has struggled this year they both add an element to the offense (size for Parker, field vision for Smith-Schuster) that the team doesn’t get as much from the top two guys. Jalen Reagor could fit into this group as well if he gets added to the active roster.

  That leaves Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte. Thornton hasn’t proven he can be the kind of threat that will keep defenses honest deep, even with his speed. He’s still a developmental player at this point. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ refusal to play Boutte suggests he’s struggling at practice, and he remains an unknown to this point.

  Then there are the tight ends. Overall the Patriots should use this position more, upping the frequency of 12 personnel. Hunter Henry looks banged up, and it may make sense to rotate him evenly with Mike Gesicki for the time being, as the Patriots did last week. Pharaoh Brown should also see the field more regularly, not just because defenses have tended to not respect him in coverage, but also because of what he brings as a blocker. His 30-percent usage rate last week felt about right.

• Monty's Army on Twitter: "In your opinion- how has JC Jackson looked? I've always loved his skill set and size / Twitter"

  In your opinion- how has JC Jackson looked? I've always loved his skill set and size

  So far J.C. Jackson has looked like the player he was during most of his tenure in New England. He’s an aggressive ball-hawker that trusts his instincts. That’s helped him compete with some of the top wide receivers he’s faced since returning, and while he has been beat a couple of times opposing quarterbacks have yet to take advantage.

  The biggest thing is opposing offenses clearly still respect Jackson as the threat he was in 2021. It hasn’t looked like any offense has wanted to make a point of testing him significantly. That moment may come down the road, but right now he is giving the Patriots the presence of a top boundary cornerback, which they needed with Christian Gonzalez out.

• Andrew DeSilva on Twitter: "Do you see a scenario where the Patriots move one of Jack Jones or JC Jackson to FS next year if Dugger leaves? A ball hawking FS seems like something the defense would thrive on. CB - Gonzales / Jack JonesSlot - Jon Jones / Marcus JonesSS - Peppers FS - Jackson / Twitter"

  Do you see a scenario where the Patriots move one of Jack Jones or JC Jackson to FS next year if Dugger leaves? A ball hawking FS seems like something the defense would thrive on.

  The ball-hawking nature of players like J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones is what would keep the Patriots out of moving them to free safety. Devin McCourty has shared in the past that when he first made the switch to FS early in his career the top requirement from Bill Belichick was “get the ‘F’ back.” The Patriots view that position as the last line of defense against big plays, and aren’t going to put players back there that prioritize trying to create big plays of their own over preventing them from the other team.

  That being said, don’t rule out a current cornerback moving back there next year. Jonathan Jones is much more of a textbook fit as a free safety, and has taken snaps there for the Patriots before. If it’s anybody in the cornerback room playing McCourty’s old position, Jones would be the guy (but it still makes the most sense to make an external addition at the position).

• ashley1992 on Twitter: "Hi Alex, an under the radar guy for the Patriots in my opinion has been Anfernee Jennings. What are your thoughts on his play and do you think we should sign him after this year? / Twitter"

  Hi Alex, an under the radar guy for the Patriots in my opinion has been Anfernee Jennings. What are your thoughts on his play and do you think we should sign him after this year?

  It’s been a really strong couple of weeks for Anfernee Jennings, who is showcasing the edge-setting skillset that made him a top-100 pick coming out of Alabama in 2020. That’s a skillset the Patriots value – at times more than other teams – which seems like it would make him a strong candidate for a new contract this offseason.

• Andrew Caraway on Twitter: "With the deadline approaching. Would a move like this Josh Uche and a draft pick for John Metchie III seem feasible? Or would the pats want actual draft compensation for a future selection? / Twitter"

  With the deadline approaching. Would a move like this Josh Uche and a draft pick for John Metchie III seem feasible? Or would the pats want actual draft compensation for a future selection?

  This is a fun trade idea, but I’m not sure if the Texans would move on from a wide receiver they just took in the top-50 with two more years of team control after this one for a pending free agent. Plus, based on the reporting that’s out there it seems like the Patriots would be more focused on draft picks if they trade away players at the deadline than player-for-player swaps.

• Collin St.John on Twitter: "Is there still hope for Mac Jones? Or do you think it's time to move on after the season? / Twitter"

  Is there still hope for Mac Jones? Or do you think it's time to move on after the season?

  Sunday’s game showed why many people (including myself) had faith in Mac Jones to turn things around after a rough 2022 season. When he received adequate protection, Jones has the ability to distribute the ball and methodically move a drive down the field.

  The question of consistency still remains though. If that game ends up being the high point of Jones’ season, then the Patriots need to seriously consider taking a quarterback in the first round this spring. If Jones can lead the team to a few more wins down the stretch, the urgency of adding a quarterback will decrease. Given Jones is entering the final concrete year of his rookie deal in 2024 it still would make sense for the Patriots to draft a quarterback at some point, but they could afford to wait until Day 2 or 3.

• gabe_pats on Twitter: "Chances Devante Parker is on the Patriots next season? / Twitter"

  Chances Devante Parker is on the Patriots next season?

  In the past I would be inclined to say yes, just based on the contract extension he signed last offseason. While cutting DeVante Parker this offseason would be tough to swallow cap-wise (over $6 million in dead cap while saving just over $200K in cap space), a trade would open up just over $3 million (all numbers per OverTheCap.com).

  If the Patriots can find a team willing to take on Parker’s contract for a minimal return, they probably would be able to move on from him. Those trades are rare in the NFL but not impossible. In fact, the team made a similar deal last spring sending Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh-round pick.

• 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 abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

Get The 98.5 The Sports Hub Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date with the latest Boston sports news and analysis, local events, exclusive contests, and more.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.

Author Matt Dolloff

Category:

• Patriots
• Matt Dolloff
• News

Tags:

Miami Dolphins,New England Patriots,NFL