Patriots bring in new center for practice squad
The Patriots center battle turned out to be a bigger concern than expected over the course of the summer. At the backup spot behind David Andrews, anyway.
So, it made sense for the Pats to look outside the organization for another body at the position. The newest face at center is undrafted rookie Bryan Hudson, who according to Justin Melo is joining their practice squad. Reporters noted Hudson’s locker being set up at Gillette Stadium prior to the report.
Hudson spent the summer with the Detroit Lions, who have second team All-Pro Frank Ragnow entrenched at center. He played 114 preseason snaps for the Lions at center, and allowed just two total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
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Hudson’s profile at NFLDraftBuzz.com describes him as a stout power blocker who uses his hands well, but also notes that he might “have trouble with elite quickness” at the NFL level. He most recently played college ball at Louisville, where he started all 13 games at center as a senior in 2023, and allowed 10 pressures, three QB hits, and no sacks in 855 snaps.
Forget about the blocking at center for a moment, though. It was merely snapping the ball that became a serious problem during camp. To be fair, this was not a problem with starter David Andrews and shouldn’t be one as long as he’s in there.
But with Nick Leverett and especially Atonio Mafi at center, the snaps were erratic and fumbles became a legitimate concern. At times, rookie quarterback Drake Maye appeared to have his own problems handling snaps from under center. Maye didn’t play under center at North Carolina, so that’s one particular skill he will need to refine as he sits behind starter Jacoby Brissett to begin the 2024 season.
The Patriots released both Mafi and undrafted rookie center Charles Turner as part of their final roster cuts. Leverett made the 53-man roster and will serve as the backup center to Andrews. Hopefully, that never needs to happen in real games.
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Despite Andrews’ continued presence as the clear starting center and team captain, the Patriots do need to look toward the future at the center position at some point. Hudson represents a possible step in that direction.
The Patriots have begun making additions to their practice squad, with Hudson as the only player so far who didn’t spend training camp in New England. Liam Fornadel, who played some center over the summer, is in the fold. Their practice squad signings so far include the following players:
OL Liam Fornadel
RB Kevin Harris
RB Terrell Jennings
WR Matt Landers
DE Jotham Russell
DB A.J. Thomas
TE Mitchell Wilcox
In addition, reporters spotted CB Isaiah Bolden, OL Michael Jordan, and WR Jalen Reagor in the locker room, indicating that they’ve also been added to the practice squad. The Pats can make seven more signings to that group for a total of 16, plus Russell representing an extra spot via the league’s International Pathway Program.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
