Patriots address running back, offensive line depth with latest moves

The New England Patriots made a series of roster moves on Tuesday as they get ready for their Week 18 matchup with the New York Jets. That included a change to the 53-man roster.

Center Brenden Jaimes was signed to the 53-man roster off the practice squad. Jaimes, 26, singed with the Patriots' practice squad after training camp in September. He spent the summer with the Tennessee Titans, and before that played four seasons for the Los Angeles Chargers after they drafted him in the fifth round out of Nebraska in 2021.

Jaimes was elevated from the practice squad by the Patriots twice this year, but only played on special teams. He appeared in 46 NFL games before joining the Patriots, spending most of his time at center.

This move comes after head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters on Tuesday that starting left guard Jared Wilson is in concussion protocol. With Ben Brown likely moving to that spot as he has when Wilson dealt with injuries earlier this year, the Patriots needed a new backup center.

In order to open up a roster spot for Jaimes, the Patriots placed rookie defensive tackle Joshua Farmer on IR. A fourth-round pick by the Patriots out of Florida State back in the spring, Farmer played in 13 games for the Patriots with three starts. He suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday's win over the Baltimore Ravens, and did not return.

The Patriots also made a couple of moves on the practice squad. They signed running back Elijah Mitchell and wide receiver Brandon Smith.

Mitchell, 27, brings some NFL experience, having played in 28 games in a five-year NFL career. He spent the first four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and ran the ball 327 ties for 1,523 yards and nine touchdowns. After missing last season due to a hamstring injury he joined the Kansas City Chiefs this past offseason, and played one game for them before being released last week.

With TreVeyon Henderson in concussion protocol, the Patriots needed more running back depth behind Rhamondre Stevenson and D'Ernset Johnson. Mitchell could be a candidate to be elevated over the final two weeks of the season.

Smith, 27, has been in the NFL since 2021 when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a UDFA out of Iowa. He's also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets, who he was with going back to the start of the 2024 season. Smith appeared in three games for the Jets over the last two years, mainly in a special teams role, before being released earlier this month. He also played for the DC Defenders of the UFL.

To open the other practice squad spot (in addition to moving Jaimes to the active roster), the Patriots released tackle Sebastian Gutierrez. He'd been with the team on the practice squad since September.