Patriots sign WR Devin Ross, CB Dayan Lake to practice squad

The New England Patriots made a series of roster moves on Wednesday.

The New England Patriots made a series of roster moves on Wednesday, adding former Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith and former BYU cornerback Dayan Lake to the practice squad. As a corresponding move, the Patriots released linebacker Jack Cichy.

Smith was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. A torn ACL ended his rookie season early, as he recorded 150 receiving yards and a touchdown in 10 games. With injuries hampering his time with the Jets, he was released by the organization in July 2018.

From there, Smith made stops with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. Now, he looks to bolster New England’s receiving core and add depth in the process.

Lake went undrafted in this April’s draft, but had a successful career at BYU. He started 43 of 48 games, tallying 207 tackles and two sacks in addition to three forced fumbles and 15 pass breakups. He also holds the BYU record with seven fumble recoveries.

Lake signed with the Rams following the draft, but he was cut by the team as part of the organization’s final cuts. Lake should be able to help as a depth piece for the secondary.

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Report: Patriots hosting free agent WR, DB for workouts

More reinforcements? Or just due dilligence?

The New England Patriots are bringing in free agent receiver Devin Smith and defensive back Dayan G. Lake for COVID-19 testing and workouts, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. It’s unclear if the Patriots are interested in these players for the practice squad or the 53-man roster, though it’s likely the former.

Smith, a 2015 second-round pick, spent three seasons with the New York Jets before landing with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 and the Houston Texans in 2020. New England has receivers Damiere Byrd, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski and Donte Moncrief with practice squad players, Kristian Wilkerson and Isaiah Zuber.

Lake went undrafted in 2020 and landed with the Rams to start this season. New England has cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty and Joejuan Williams. The Patriots practice squad includes defensive back D’Angelo Ross.

New England won its matchup against the Chargers in Week 13. The Patriots play the Rams in L.A. in Week 14.

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