Tag: Conor McDermott

Patriots coach Bill Belichick discusses offensive line injury woes

Bill Belichick commented on the offensive line struggles for the Patriots this season

The New England Patriots have had problems at the offensive line position, as injuries and inconsistent play have marred the unit throughout the year.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick offered his thoughts on how things have unfolded along the offensive front, when speaking with media members.

“That’s not the way we thought it would happen when we acquired some of the guys at the beginning of the year…but it is what it is,” said Belichick, via Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar.

The offensive line has been decimated by injuries. Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff were free agent pickups, while Connor McDermott was re-signed this year as a free agent.

Injuries have made it difficult for the Patriots to build any form of consistency. At one point in the season, the Patriots’ entire offensive line was dealing with injuries.

This was simply a case of the Patriots rolling the dice and things not working out. It was something the usually-prepared Belichick could not foresee.

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Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots: Team connections

#Bills vs. #Patriots: Team connections:

The Buffalo Bills will host the New England Patriots for a matchup on Sunday afternoon in Week 17.

It’s a brand new NFL weekend with plenty on the line for both teams. But for some on the Bills (9-6) and Patriots (4-11) there is a bit more at stake than others.

That’s because multiple players or coaches for both sides are going to be playing against their former teams. That can create a little bit of extra motivation for them heading into Sunday… as expected.

With that, here’s a quick list of connections the two teams have with one another ahead of the upcoming matchup at Highmark Stadium:

Patriots downgrade two key offensive players as out vs Broncos

The Patriots offense has been dealt two more blows ahead of Sunday’s Christmas Eve game against the Broncos.

The New England Patriots announced on Saturday that tight end Hunter Henry and offensive tackle Conor McDermott have both been downgraded as out for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Those are two tough blows to a Patriots offense that is already struggling.

Henry has turned into quarterback Bailey Zappe’s most reliable receiving target, while McDermott stepped in periodically to spell Trent Brown, who has been playing through multiple injuries.

Tight ends Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown will see an uptick in work with Henry out against the Broncos. Meanwhile, the team will have to lean more on Vederian Lowe and Tyrone Wheatley Jr. to help solidify the offensive tackle position.

The ability to play musical chairs on the fly has been a common theme for this oft-injured Patriots team. They’ll need to do it again successfully, if they have any hopes of pulling off a major upset at Mile High.

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Studs and duds from Patriots’ 6-0 loss to Chargers

Who were the studs and duds from the Patriots’ Week 13 shutout loss?

There was no miracle offensive resurgence with Bailey Zappe starting at quarterback for the New England Patriots in Sunday’s shutout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

But that doesn’t mean it was all bad.

There were big plays and opportunities left on the field by the offense in the second half that ultimately led to drive killers.

It’s hard not to feel bad for the Patriots defense considering the incredible effort the unit puts in every week. But none if it matters if the offense can’t score points. Even a perfect performance by the defense wouldn’t have been enough for the Patriots to beat the Chargers.

Let’s take a look at the studs and duds from the game.

Patriots get boost on both sides of ball with key returns at Tuesday’s practice

Three players returned for the Patriots at Tuesday’s practice, including a recently released veteran offensive lineman

The New England Patriots were still shorthanded with eight players missing from Tuesday’s practice. However, they did have two major returns with wide receiver Demario Douglas and cornerback Jack Jones back on the field.

Douglas missed Week 6 after suffering a concussion in the Patriots’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys. New England’s receivers have been a major disappointment this season, but Douglas has been one of the only playmakers, along with Kendrick Bourne, that has shown the ability to create separation.

Meanwhile, Jones is being activated off injured reserve after missing the first six games of the season with a hamstring injury. Marcus Jones is still out with an injury, and Jonathan Jones missed Tuesday’s practice. With rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez also on the shelf, it could pave the way for a significant rep increase for Jack Jones.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss also reported that the Patriots have signed offensive tackle Conor McDermott to the practice squad.

Given the ongoing struggles at right tackle, McDermott’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time for the team. He was released by the Patriots after reaching an injury settlement in September.

But now, it would appear that he’s healed and ready to contribute to a makeshift offensive line that desperately needs the help.

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5 takeaways from Day 5 of Patriots training camp practice

Here’s how Day 5 of training camp looked for the Patriots

There was a different feeling in the air on Monday with the pads coming on for the first time at New England Patriots’ training camp.

It felt like real football with the clanging and banging of shoulder pads and helmets. The offense was looking to build on some of the success they started to show on Sunday, while the defense wanted to continue making life difficult for quarterback Mac Jones and company.

The Patriots had six players in total missing in practice with Ty Montgomery, Cody Davis, Michael Onwenu, Calvin Anderson, Jake Andrews and Terez Hall being out. Matthew Judon, Trent Brown and Rhamondre Stevenson were also limited.

Here are five takeaways from Day 5 of training camp;

6 takeaways from Day 4 of Patriots training camp practice

Takeaways from Day 4 of Patriots training camp

The New England Patriots were back on the field on Sunday for their fourth  training camp practice.

There was more red zone work in this practice, but coach Bill Belichick did open things up a bit more, which seemed to help the offense.

It’s still clear that the offense struggles when the field shortens, but they showed a bit more life when there was more room to work in competitive drills.

Offensive guard Michael Onwenu, running back Ty Montgomery, offensive tackle Calvin Anderson and special teamer Cody Davis were still absent from practice. Meanwhile, rookie center/guard Jake Andrews and wideout Kayshon Boutte were the newest additions to the list.

Here are six takeaways from Day 4 of Patriots training camp:

75 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 75 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 75 jersey number.

There are 75 days left before the New England Patriots’ regular season opener at Gillette Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles.

We’re celebrating at Patriots Wire by counting down the days and listing every Patriots player to ever wear the jersey number of that particular day.

That puts us at No. 75 today.

It’s hard not to think of legendary nose tackle Vince Wilfork when it comes to the No. 75 jersey. He was a unicorn in the NFL both in talent and personality. There weren’t many players standing at 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds that could move like Wilfork, who finished his career with two Super Bowl victories, four All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowls.

But of course, he wasn’t the only standout to wear the number. Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 75 for New England:

5 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots’ mandatory minicamp

The Patriots defense is firing on all cylinders, and the offense looks improved.

It was another strong day for the New England Patriots in their second official outing at mandatory minicamp. The offense wasn’t a catastrophe, and the defense looked like a potential juggernaut in the making.

As far as attendance is concerned, it wasn’t much better on Tuesday, but most of the players were accounted for on the practice field.

Veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, who is believed to be holding out for contract reasons wasn’t on the field, and the team was also still missing offensive guard Michael Onwenu, along with wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton.

The list of absences are as follows:

  • WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
  • WR Tyquan Thornton
  • G Michael Onwenu
  • WR Kayshon Boutte
  • EDGE Keion White
  • DT Justus Tavai
  • CB Quandre Mosely

The Patriots have one more minicamp practice remaining on their schedule before the team breaks until training camp in late July. Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s practice:

Could Trent Brown be out in New England?

Could Trent Brown be a surprise cut for the Patriots?

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With the New England Patriots still looking into options to fill their tackle depth with the tryout of former first-round draft pick D.J. Fluker, there are questions as to what it might mean for Trent Brown.

I wrote in a previous article this spring that Trent Brown could be a cap casualty, and if Fluker signs with New England, it could be more realistic. Fluker will likely be depth, as the Patriots would have Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson to fill the two starting tackle slots, but his signing could be noteworthy.

At times last season, Brown looked like he checked out and was part of the offensive line issues overall. Better play could have potentially saved the season, but there was likely issues with the former offensive line coach and offensive coordinator, Matt Patricia. It also wouldn’t be the first time that Patricia rubbed veteran players the wrong way.

Just ask Darius Slay.

Fluker could be a veteran addition for a team still looking for answers at their two starting tackle slots. Brown being cut could save the team around $8 million, which when paired with a potential cut of DeVante Parker ($ 6.2 million saved) in a DeAndre Hopkins scenario would ideally allow the Patriots to keep their operating costs for the 2023 season, while giving Hopkins whatever he asks.

If Brown is truly checked out, which is likely with his absence at OTAs, then Bill Belichick, who has let players go for less, would cut ties and start anew. Now that Adrian Klemm is the offensive line coach in New England, there is optimism they could patch together a tackle group with Anderson, Reiff, Conor McDermott, Fluker, Andrew Stueber, or even Sidy Sow.

Belichick and crew are likely trying to change perspectives on the operation from 2022 and could cut ties with an unhappy camper who has skipped OTAs and performed poorly in 2022 to save the team cap.

If the team feels the drop-off between Brown to Reiff/Anderson isn’t major, then they could move on. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve moved on from Brown. They did so back in 2019, when he signed a massive deal with the Oakland Raiders.

If they did it before, they could certainly do it again.

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