Patriots Reinforce Roster

[BigKen]

Per NFL.COM 12/15.2015

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today that they have placed DL Dominque Easley on injured reserve. Read

In addition, the Patriots signed RB Montee Ball and WR DeAndre Carter to the practice squad and released WR Austin Hill and DL Kelcy Quarles from the practice squad. Read

Easley, 23, was suffered a thigh injury in the second half of the Houston game last Sunday. Easley has played in 11 games with one start this year and has totaled 15 total tackles, two sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Read

Ball, 25, is a veteran of two NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos (2013-14). The 5-10, 215-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a second round draft pick of Denver (58th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He appeared in 21 regular-season games with three starts over his two years in Denver, totaling 731 yards and five touchdowns on 175 carries. Ball added 28 carries for 96 yards in three postseason games in 2013. He was released by Denver on Sept. 6, 2015. Read

Carter, 22, originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a rookie free agent out of Sacramento State on May 8, 2015. The 5-foot-8, 188-pounder, was released by the Ravens on Aug. 31, and joined the Oakland Raiders practice squad on Sept. 16. He was released by the Raiders practice squad on Dec. 1. Read

Hill, 24, has had two separate stints on the New England practice squad in 2015. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Oakland Raiders on May 5, 2015, out of Arizona. The 6-foot-3, 212-pounder, was released by the Raiders on May 27 and was signed by the New York Jets on July 28. He was released by the Jets on Aug. 30. Read

Quarles, 22, spent time with New England in 2014 and was signed to the practice squad this season on Dec. 2. The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder, was claimed off waivers by the Patriots from the New York Giants on Aug. 31, 2014, released on Sept. 3, 2014, and then signed to the practice squad on Sept. 6. Indianapolis signed him to the 53-man roster from the New England practice squad on Sept. 16 and he rotated between the Colts 53-man roster and practice squad for the rest of the season, seeing action in two games and finishing with two total tackles. Quarles was released by Indianapolis at the end of training camp this past summer and spent one week on Cleveland's practice squad. He was originally signed by the Giants as a rookie free agent out of South Carolina on May 12, 2014.

 

[NEhomer]

Thanks Ken.

Heard anything about Blount?

 

[BigKen]

Blount is done for the year. Apparently he has a severe hip flexor/pointer. When he was tackled, the tackler had his feet wrapped up together and Blount apparently tried to take a hard step forward and the motion almost pulled his leg out of the hip socket and he yanked all of the ligaments and tendons that hold the leg in place. I've watched it about 10 times on DVR and it didn't look that bad which generally means it was terrible.

 

[BigKen]

Per NESN

The New England Patriots began searching for a LeGarrette Blount replacement Tuesday.

The Patriots tried out running back Alonzo Harris and linebacker Kevin Snyder, a source told NESN.com. Harris, a 6-foot-1, 237-pound rookie free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette, played in six games with the Green Bay Packers this season. He had four carries for 19 yards before being waived Dec. 3.

Harris ran a 4.66-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day in March with a 7.18-second 3-cone, 4.51-second short shuttle, 36-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump.

He carried the ball 704 times for 3,330 yards with 44 touchdowns in four seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns. He caught 29 passes for 234 yards with another touchdown.

Harris reportedly was cut because he missed curfew for the Packers before their Week 13 win over the Detroit Lions.

Blount reportedly will be put on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending hip injury Sunday in the Patriots’ 27-6 win over the Houston Texans. The Patriots have running backs Brandon Bolden and James White on their 53-man roster and Montee Ball, Trey Williams and fullback Joey Iosefa on their practice squad.

Snyder was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers this offseason. He signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad Nov. 24 and was cut Dec. 1.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pound linebacker ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash with a 7.09-second 3-cone, 4.31-second short shuttle, 35-inch vertical leap and 9-foot, 9-inch broad jump at his Pro Day in March.

He recorded 229 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in four seasons with the Scarlet Knights.

 

[BigKen]

FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots added a big-bodied wide receiver Wednesday.

The Patriots claimed Leonard Hankerson off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons, according to the NFL transaction wire. They also claimed offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle off waivers from the Detroit Lions and waived receiver Damaris Johnson.

The Patriots also officially placed running back LeGarrette Blount on injured reserve, signed defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen to the 53-man roster, signed linebacker Kevin Snyder to the practice squad and cut running back Trey Williams. The Patriots worked out running back Steven Jackson, but he didn’t sign as of 4 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Hankerson, who’s 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, was placed on injured reserve by the Falcons on Dec. 4 and waived Tuesday. He had 26 receptions for 327 yards with three touchdowns this season before suffering a hamstring injury.

Hankerson has 107 career catches for 1,408 yards with nine touchdowns. He was a Washington Redskins third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Miami.

Waddle played in eight games, starting six, for the Lions at right tackle this season. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2013. He has played in 30 games, starting 24, since coming into the league. He tore his ACL last December and admitted to Lions reporters he wasn’t the same this season.

Waddle allowed five sacks, six QB hits and 24 hurries in eight games this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Johnson was signed by the Patriots on Dec. 1. He played in one game and recorded a 6-yard carry in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Typical BB, finding injured players. What is it lately with him and injured players? If just one turns out decent I guess it's worth a rental contract?