The New England Patriots are shoring up their cornerback depth amid major injury problems. According to The #Patriots signed DB Brian Poole to their practice squad, source said.
Poole, 29, most recently played for the New York Jets in the 2020 season. He recently visited the Patriots for a workout, and it turns out he was wanted for more than just intel on a division rival.
Originally an undrafted free agent from the Florida Gators, Poole played 2016-18 with the Atlanta Falcons and played 91 percent of defensive snaps for Atlanta in Super Bowl LI against the Patriots. He played 2019-20 with the Jets, then spent 2021 training camp with the New Orleans Saints, who placed him on injured reserve before releasing him on Oct. 12.
Poole projects as a slot cornerback for the Patriots, who just placed Jonathan Jones on injured reserve. Myles Bryant, who recently signed to the 53-man roster off the practice squad, filled much of Jones’ role in Sunday’s 54-13 win over the New York Jets. Poole is essentially Bryant’s replacement on the organizational depth chart.
Jones' post-surgery message
Oct 3, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots free safety Devin McCourty (32) celebrates with defensive back Jonathan Jones (31) and cornerback Myles Bryant (41) after breaking up a pass in the end zone during the second half of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Jones confirmed his Monday shoulder surgery was successful in a new Instagram post. He will miss the rest of the 2021 season on IR.
“Adversity is a part of the game,” Jones said in the post. “Surgery was successful. Ready to start the road to recovery. I’ll be back better than ever.”
Jones had been one of the Patriots’ iron men prior to the injury. He played 79 of a possible 80 games from 2016-20.
He will remain under team control for the 2022 season. Jones will be due $6.15 million in salary and bonuses.
Williams steps up outside
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 24: Joejuan Williams #33 of the New England Patriots celebrates after the game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Patriots don’t just need cornerback help on the inside. They’ve arguably had more problems covering on the outside in 2021, and the problem will be magnified going forward now that the team won’t be getting Stephon Gilmore back at any point.
That is, unless Joejuan Williams can step up and start to play like the second-round pick he is. The third-year pro took a step in the right direction against the Jets, who are no slouch at wide receiver. Williams made three pass breakups on the afternoon.
His third-down pass defense against the Jets’ Elijah Moore in the fourth quarter was a small sign that the Pats defense was out to play a full 60-minute effort, without taking its foot off the gas. For Williams’ sake, it was hopefully a nice confidence-booster heading into a tough matchup against the high-powered Chargers offense.
https://twitter.com/FTBVids_YT/status/1452361397266907138
New faces at practice
Sep 19, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots running back James White (28) celebrates his rushing touchdown with running back Damien Harris (37) an dcornerback Shaun Wade (26) during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots got rookie cornerback Shaun Wade (concussion) back at practice on Wednesday, an excellent sign for his recovery. Wade has yet to play a defensive snap in a regular season game for the Pats, but the team may be brushing up against playing him out of necessity.
Wade, a fifth-round pick to the Ravens out of Ohio State, came over to the Patriots in a late-training camp trade. Either way, he projects as a long-term developmental player in the system.
The Pats had two unidentified new players at practice, wearing No. 34 and No. 13. No. 34 is likely Poole, who wore No. 34 for the Jets and Falcons. No. 13 remains a mystery as of this writing.
New England reportedly also signed linebacker Calvin Munson off the Dolphins’ practice squad. Munson is returning for a second stint with New England, having played for the Pats’ practice squad in 2018. Munson has played regular season games for the Dolphins and Giants since 2017.
