Tag: Jaquelin Roy

Patriots announce third-year DT being placed on injured reserve

The Patriots announced a roster move ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals

The New England Patriots announced on Friday they have placed defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy on injured reserve.

Roy has been dealing with a foot injury, and he was initially deemed out for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Now, he’s officially done for the season after the IR designation.

Roy was signed to the Patriots’ practice squad back in September, but he ultimately was promoted to the main roster in October. Since he’s been on the team, he has contributed solid snaps for the Patriots, including racking up 17 tackles and two sacks on the season.

The depth along the defensive front has been tested for New England with Christian Barmore missing most of the season due to a blood clot diagnosis. With Barmore back on the field, there’s hope the unit can settle into defending against the run every week.

Roy is a player with some upside who could get another look by the Patriots in 2025.

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Patriots announce two practice squad moves on Tuesday

The Patriots are adding to their defensive tackle depth

The New England Patriots signed defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy to their practice squad on Tuesday, per the team’s official website.

Roy worked out with the Patriots on Monday. He was caught up in the roster cuts for the Minnesota Vikings in August. The former fifth-round pick out of LSU appeared in 12 games for the Vikings in 2023 and finished the season with eight tackles.

During his final college run with the Tigers, he racked up 49 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and 0.5 sacks in the 2022 season.

The Patriots will need to find additional defensive tackle depth with Christian Barmore out indefinitely after being diagnosed with blood clots.

To make room for Roy, the Patriots also announced the release of second-year offensive guard Jerome Carvin.

The players got the day off, but the team has been hard at work tinkering with the roster ahead of Sunday’s Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

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CBS Sports recognizes Vikings biggest question mark in 2024

Everyone knows about the Minnesota Vikings’ questions at quarterback heading into the 2024 season, but could there be an even bigger one?

The Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback questions heading into the 2024 season garner all the headlines, and it’s a battle that folks will be watching all year long. But that’s not the only question mark the Vikings have heading into the season—and it may not even be the biggest, according to CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin.

Dubin recently took a look at each team’s biggest question mark heading into the season, and for the Vikings, he has his eyes on the situation at defensive tackle as the biggest area of concern, saying:

Harrison Phillips is a solid player, but the Vikes are counting on guys like Jerry Tillery, 2023 fifth-rounder Jaquelin Roy and 2024 seventh-rounder Levi (Drake) Rodriguez next to him. That is highly concerning, even with Brian Flores magicking things up for them. And we still don’t yet know whether they will have to start Sam Darnold for a while, or if J.J. McCarthy will hit the ground running.

Dubin does mention the quarterback situation at the end of his analysis, but it’s interesting to note that he’s more worried about the situation at defensive tackle. Minnesota was poor last season when it came to putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks up the middle, and that’s not likely to improve this season.

However, given Phillips’s potentially increased role and Brian Flores’s creative schemes, it may be less of an issue than Dubin believes it to be.

Vikings may have interesting decisions to make at defensive tackle

Cut-down day in the NFL isn’t for another couple of months, but the Minnesota Vikings may have some interesting choices to make at DT.

We’re still in the early portions of the off-season programs, but if early indications are to be believed, the Minnesota Vikings may have some interesting decisions to make regarding roster cut-down day. Particularly when it comes to the defensive tackle position.

The Vikings are likely to keep only four, maybe five, defensive tackles on the roster, but they have a wealth of talent at the position, which could make the decision difficult for the coaching staff.

Harrison Phillips is one of the unquestioned leaders of the Vikings’ defense heading into his third season with the team. With Danielle Hunter gone in free agency, the Vikings will lean even more heavily on Phillips to provide the defense with veteran leadership. Phillips is a lock to make the roster and will likely see an increased role on the defense in 2024.

It’s beyond Phillips where things get interesting for the Vikings at defensive tackle. They have a number of potential players on the roster, but only a limited number of spots available. Upwards of six guys are fighting for, likely, three roster spots.

Jaquelin Roy was a rotational defensive tackle as a rookie in 2023 and played admirably in the limited action he saw. Roy, the rookie out of LSU, saw only one start in 2023, and the stat sheet wasn’t terribly impressive – just eight tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and one quarterback hit. But he was a solid contributor on defense and made more plays for the team than the box score would indicate. According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, Roy will have “premium chances in training camp”.

Jalen Redmond, an undrafted free agent in 2023, was recently signed to a contract after being a standout in spring football. During his stint in the UFL, Redmond was one of the league’s best defenders while he was healthy.

That caveat, however, is the biggest concern about Redmond. He failed to catch on with the Carolina Panthers as a UDFA due largely to his inability to stay healthy. If he can stay on the field, there is a lot of untapped potential there.

Speaking of injury, the Vikings also have James Lynch who figures to be in the mix for a roster spot. Lynch has been with the Vikings for the past four seasons and has served them well in a rotational role.

Lynch saw action in several games two seasons ago, notching 20 tackles and one tackle for loss. Unfortunately, Lynch tore his ACL last season and missed the year and, according to Lewis, is “likely battling for a back-end roster spot”.

Then comes the youngster Levi Drake Rodriguez. The Vikings took Rodriguez in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft and have reportedly already begun turning heads.

According to Lewis, “the team loves him already”, which would seem to indicate that he’ll likely figure heavily into the mix for one of the DT spots. Rodriguez struggles against the run, and improving that has been a focus in the early portions of the off-season – and likely will continue to be all season.

Rounding out the position are two players the Vikings signed in the offseason to help bolster their depth and provide versatility: Jonah Williams and Jerry Tillery. Williams is a name that should be familiar to Vikings fans, as this will technically be his second stint with the team.

Williams was originally claimed off waivers by the Vikings in 2021 after being released by the Los Angeles Rams, but he was waived the next day. Now, Williams is back with the team after spending the past three seasons with the Rams. Williams may have a leg up, as he could also stick on the roster as a defensive end—his more natural position.

Jerry Tillery comes to the Vikings after two seasons with the Raiders. Tillery, a former first-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers, has yet to reach the potential he showed coming out of Notre Dame, but according to Lewis he “is imposing, and you can understand why he was a first-rounder”. Tillery could also find a spot on the roster at defensive end.

We’ll have to wait a couple of months to see how everything shakes out at the position, but early returns suggest that the Vikings have a ton of talent at the position. Some good players will be left on the outside looking in – a good problem for the Vikings to have at this juncture.

Report: Vikings sign former UFL defensive star Jalen Redmond

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly signed former UFL/XFL defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, as reported by KPRC2’s reporter Aaron Wilson.

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly dipped into the spring football league ranks to beef up their defensive line by signing former XFL and UFL defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. The signing, reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, TX, will reportedly be made official sometime Tuesday.

Redmond starred as a disruptive defensive lineman at the University of Oklahoma before going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers, but injuries cut his attempts to make the roster short, and the team waived him in early August of that year.

In December 2023, Redmond signed with the Arlington Renegades of the then-XFL, now the UFL. Redmond once again struggled with injuries during the UFL season, but when he was healthy, he was highly productive for the Renegades. In just four games of the UFL season, Redmond stood out as one of the top defenders in the league, notching 18 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.

Now Redmond will reportedly walk into a Vikings defensive tackle room that could use depth. Last year’s fifth-round pick, Jaquelin Roy, stood out at times last season and likely played well enough to earn the starting role. Behind him, however, are a lot of question marks.

The Vikings signed former Chargers and Raiders defensive lineman Jerry Tillery in the off-season to provide some depth behind Roy. They also signed undrafted free agent Tyler Manoa. Redmond will likely compete with Manoa to stay on the roster and may find himself in the rotation at the position—if he can stay healthy and perform.

Grading the Minnesota Vikings’ 2023 rookie draft class

With their rookie seasons under their belt, let’s revisit the Minnesota Vikings’ 2023 NFL draft and hand out some rookie grades.

The 2023 season for the Minnesota Vikings was the ultimate rollercoaster ride. Not even just week-to-week, but seemingly quarter-by-quarter and even series-to-series. You never knew what you were going to get from this iteration of the Vikings on any given day, and it made for some wild moments.

The season may not have ended the way the team, or the fans, wanted, but that disappointment shouldn’t overshadow the many good things that happened this year, least of all the many great contributions from the team’s rookie class.

There are a number of different ways to build a successful franchise in the NFL, but still the prevailing thought process is that it’s best to utilize the draft to build your base, and to supplement that base through free agency, trades, and the like.

Over the past few years, the Vikings have used the draft well to build up their base, including nabbing arguably the best wide receiver in football just a few short years ago when taking Justin Jefferson.

That success in the NFL draft continued in 2023, with the Vikings getting some major contributions from a number of their selections. Perhaps even more impressive, arguably their best rookie this season came in the form of someone who wasn’t drafted at all – instead being a true diamond-in-the-rough as an undrafted free agent.

With that as our backdrop, let’s revisit the 2023 Minnesota Vikings NFL draft class and hand out some grades now that their first season is officially behind them.

Vikings release first injury report for Week 18 vs. Lions

The Minnesota Vikings released their first injury report on Wednesday afternoon and it has nine players on it.

The Minnesota Vikings released their first injury report ahead of their week 18 matchup against the Detroit Lions and it has nine players on it.

  • CB Byron Murphy Jr. (knee): Did not practice
  • WR Jalen Nailor (concussion): Did not practice
  • RT Brian O’Neill (ankle): Did not practice
  • DE Jaquelin Roy (ankle): Did not practice
  • CB Mekhi Blackmon (shoulder): Limited
  • RG Ed Ingram (shoulder): Limited
  • S Theo Jackson (toe): Limited
  • TE Nick Muse (knee): Limited
  • S Harrison Smith (shoulder): Limited

Once again, both Murphy and Nailor didn’t practice. They have missed the last two and three games, respectively, due to injury. O’Neill being on the report is likey due to wanting to rest his injured ankle, as he already played last week against the Green Bay Packers.

Muse, Smith and Ingram are all new additions to the report. Ingram left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. The progress throughout the week will determine whether or not they play on Sunday.

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Vikings release inactives for Sunday’s Week 6 game vs Bears

The Minnesota Vikings released the inactives list for Sunday’s week six game against the Chicago Bears

The Minnesota Vikings have released their inactives for Sunday’s week six matchup with the Chicago Bears.

  • S Lewis Cine
  • OLB Andre Carter II
  • TE Nick Muse
  • OT Hakeem Adeniji
  • DL Jaquelin Roy

This is Cine’s third game inactive after suffering a hamstring injury against the Los Angeles Chargers in week three. Considering he was removed from the injury report, this would be a healthy scratch.

Carter has played in one game thus far and got three pressures in 13 pass rush reps against the Carolina Panthers.

Muse has yet to be active this season after making the roster this year.

Adeniji was signed to the active roster last week but was signed for depth purposes. Not a surprise to see him inactive.

Roy being inactive is a slight surprise. In his place is Khyiris Tonga who has for some reason been inactive for the last five games.

The Vikings and Bears kick off at noon central time.

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The good, bad, and ugly from the Vikings’ 18-17 loss to the Cardinals

The Vikings final preseason game against the Cardinals had plenty of ups and downs.

Let the games officially count.

The Minnesota Vikings concluded their preseason with a one-point loss against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Vikings quickly jumped out to a 14-point lead but struggled to find much offensive output after. While the defense kept them competitive, it wasn’t enough after a nine-point fourth quarter pushed the Cardinals ahead.

Although the results from preseason do not matter, there is plenty of good and bad to take from these games, especially when backups get most of the snaps.

5 Takeaways from Vikings 18-17 loss vs. Cardinals

Despite most of the starters not playing in the Vikings’ preseason finale, there were still plenty of takeaways.

The Minnesota Vikings closed their preseason with a one-point loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

While results do not count towards anything, the loss marks a second-consecutive winless record in preseason. However, the mission of preseason remains the same: evaluating players on the roster bubble.

It’s partly why the Vikings didn’t play many of their starters during the games. For example, Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson spent their time on the sideline without pads, while Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall saw a bulk of the team’s snaps.

Saturday’s game marked a different approach. More and more projected starters or key backups did not appear in the Vikings preseason finale, instead, undrafted free agents and likely roster cuts earned a tryout.

Here are 5 takeaways from those players, who saw most of the first-half snaps.