Tag: patriots news

Report: Chargers have shown interest in trading for WR K.J. Osborn

The Chargers are looking to add another weapon for Justin Herbert.

According to Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi, the Chargers are one of the teams that has shown interest in trading for Patriots wide receiver K.J. Osborn.

Osborn hasn’t been that productive this season in New England, only with seven catches for 57 yards and a touchdown in six games. But he’s proven to be impactful in his professional career.

In four seasons with the Vikings, where he played before signing with the Patriots, Osborn caught 160 passes for a total of 1,865 yards and 16 touchdowns in those games

Currently sitting at 5-3 and well positioned to make the playoffs, Los Angeles finds itself as buyers ahead of the trade deadline. And it appears the team wants to bolster the wide receiver room.

Ladd McConkey has impressed in his rookie season. Quentin Johnston has shown signs of improvement in his sophomore campaign. D.J. Chark has yet to make his Charger debut due to a hip injury.

This is a position that could benefit from another playmaker for Justin Herbert, as the Bolts continue to find their stride in the passing game.

Report: Patriots waiving former 2022 NFL draft pick offensive lineman

Another one bites the dust for the Patriots’ 2022 NFL draft class

The New England Patriots have informed third-year offensive lineman Andrew Stueber he is being waived, according to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Monday.

Stueber entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick after playing offensive tackle during his collegiate run at Michigan. However, he has been taking reps at guard during OTAs.

His chances of making the roster at that position were never good considering the depth in place. He’d have to play catch-up with Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi, Nick Leverett and Michael Jordan. The Patriots also used a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Layden Robinson.

So Stueber was clearly on the outside looking in.

Stueber never got an opportunity to gain any traction early on after suffering a hamstring injury as a rookie. He then spent the 2023 season on the practice squad at a time when the Patriots actually needed help at the tackle position.

That never boded well for his future with the team.

Chargers named ‘best team fit’ for OL Mike Onwenu

Jim Harbaugh coached Michael Onwenu at Michigan.

The Chargers’ offensive line is in need of a revamp, and ESPN’s Matt Bowen believes Patriots’ Michael Onwenu is a player who can add some talent. 

Here is why Bowen believes Los Angeles is the best fit for Onwenu:

Besides left tackle Rashawn Slater, the Chargers are devoid of offensive line talent. Coach Jim Harbaugh would love to add a 6-foot-3, 330-pound people-mover in the run game. And Onwenu proved with the Patriots this season that he also has the ability to hold an anchor in pass protection at either guard or right tackle, which would help Justin Herbert. Los Angeles has to get better up front this offseason, so look for the club to make some cuts in order to clear cap space and address this unit.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh will want to do everything possible to improve the run game, and what better way to do so than by adding a people-mover like Onwenu to the roster? 

Additionally, Harbaugh is familiar with Onwenu, having been his coach at Michigan from 2016 to 2019.

Onwenu is coming off his rookie contract with New England, and he is a player who can offer solutions at guard and right tackle.

It’s vital that Los Angeles make changes up front to help improve the offense, and the organization will look to make some cuts to clear up cap space to pursue players like Onwenu. 

Chargers trade J.C. Jackson to Patriots

J.C. Jackson is going back to where he started his career.

J.C. Jackson is going back to where he started his career, as the Chargers traded him to the Patriots on Wednesday.

Los Angeles and New England swapped sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025. The Chargers are converting most of the $9.33 million Jackson has left in base this year into a signing bonus to facilitate the trade.

After signing a five-year, $82.5 million with L.A. last offseason, Jackson was limited to five games last season due to a ruptured patellar tendon.

Upon returning, Jackson struggled against the Dolphins and Titans in Weeks 1 and 2, thus leading to him being a healthy scratch in Week 3 against the Vikings. He was active in Week 4 but did not play a single defensive snap.

Jackson played in seven games for the Chargers, recording 18 tackles, five passes defended and one interception.

For the Patriots, they get a player who had a lot of success with them, which included 25 interceptions in 62 games.

As for Los Angeles, it’s unfortunate that they didn’t get the All-Pro level of play from Jackson, but they made the right move to deal him now, knowing the situation was not going to get any better and save some money in doing so.

Chargers CB J.C. Jackson ‘confused’ by benching in Week 3 vs. Vikings

J.C. Jackson sounded off on the Chargers’ decision to bench him.

The start of the 2023 season hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson. Jackson, who returned from a season-ending patellar tendon injury, struggled in the first two games. As a result, he was a healthy scratch last Sunday in Los Angeles’ win over the Vikings.

This happened a day after a warrant was issued for Jackson’s arrest after he failed to pay a $600 fine and attend a four-hour class on reckless driving from when he was charged with driving 100 mph in South Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 2021 while he was a member of the Patriots.

But Jackson’s benching wasn’t a result of his legal situation or health concerns related to the knee. Brandon Staley said it was a “coach’s decision” after the game and followed it up on Monday by saying, “just the overall product, from the beginning of the week to the end of the week.”

Jackson was asked about being benched and said he was confused by it.

I’m still kind of confused on why. I can’t put my opinion on it. It was a coach’s decision. It was above (me). I’m not in control. This is not my team. So that’s what I’m saying. I can tell you I’m confused, I don’t know what’s going on. But that’s not the real answer of why I didn’t play last week or why I didn’t start. That’s above me.

On Thursday, Jackson admitted that he is still not fully recovered from his knee injury.

“That’s exactly what it is, I’m not 100 percent,” Jackson said. “I know that the doctors know that. I’m not 100 percent so I’m doing my best. We’re giving the team what they want. I’m doing my best and I don’t know what they expect me to do.”

Jackson signed a five-year contract worth $82.5 million with the Bolts last offseason after earning All-Pro honors in his final season with New England. They have yet to see him play at that caliber, but he remains confident that he can get there.

“I know what I can do,” Jackson said. “I know that I can help the team so it kind of frustrates me that I’m not starting and that coach has me sitting out, and I’m one of the best players on the team. I’m one of the best [defensive backs] that we have.”

It remains to be seen if Jackson will play this weekend or what his role will be when the Chargers host the Raiders.

“It is going to be determined by what happens in practice this week,” Staley said.

Stock up, stock down for Patriots heading into preseason Week 2

Who is trending up and who is trending down for the Patriots in Week 2 of the preseason?

With the New England Patriots beginning joint practices on Wednesday, we got to see some of the starters in live reps against opposing competition. For the most part, training camp battles only go so far, as the Patriots typically want to keep everyone healthy.

Against real opponents, the Patriots got a sneak peek at their new-look offense with Bill O’Brien, along with the new offensive line combinations under Adrian Klemm.

The Patriots ended their two joint practices with the Packers on a high note on Thursday. In this piece, we’re going to take a look at three players trending up and three players trending down in preseason Week 2 for New England.

Chargers CB J.C. Jackson looking forward to ‘revenge game’ vs. Patriots

Chargers CB J.C. Jackson has one game this upcoming season circled on his calendar.

Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson has one game he anticipates the most this upcoming season.

Jackson has the matchup with the Patriots in Week 13 circled on his calendar. This will mark the first time he faces his former team since he departed in free agency last year.

“It’s a revenge game for me,” Jackson said. “I’m excited to go back and pick Mac Jones off and show them why they should’ve never let me go.”

Despite not returning to New England, Jackson ended up signing a five-year contract worth up to $82.5 million with L.A.

Jackson’s first season with the Bolts wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as he struggled to find his footing in Brandon Staley’s defense, leading to getting benched. However, once he did start to acclimate to the system, Jackson suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury.

Since then, Jackson has steadily been working his way back to full health. Recently, he said the goal is to be 100% when the season gets here.

“My No. 1 goal for next year is to have a healthy season,” Jackson said. “To remain healthy this season, that’s my goal. I’m just excited to be out there and compete with the team.”

If he can get back to live-game shape and play like the All-Pro corner he once was, Jackson could really boost the Chargers’ defense and cause problems for his former team.

Mailbag Monday 5/15: Will Kendrick Bourne be on opening day roster?

Kendrick Bourne’s future and Tom Brady’s return are both featured in this week’s mailbag.

We’re kick-starting this week’s mailbag with questions regarding the regular season roster, most notably with wideout Kendrick Bourne’s future with the New England Patriots.

Another fan touches on the Tom Brady return news, as well as the current state of the cornerback position in New England.

Be sure to follow @CamSGarrity on Twitter and submit questions to be answered on Mondays.

This is a chance to get some of your questions answered and generate good discussion across Patriots nation. Let’s get into this week’s submitted questions.

Breaking: Patriots releasing 4-time Pro Bowl CB Stephon Gilmore

In a shocking move, the Patriots are releasing four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

In what is sure to be the most surprising move of the season thus far, the New England Patriots are cutting ties with four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore. As first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Patriots are releasing Gilmore.

He’s spent the first four weeks of the season on the physically unable to perform list after having surgery to repair a torn quad. He was eligible to come off the PUP list in Week 7, but the Patriots aren’t going to wait around for him to get healthy.

This likely has to do with his contract situation, too. Gilmore has been seeking a raise from New England, but the two sides weren’t able to come to an agreement. He was in the final year of his contract and by releasing him, the Patriots will now gain about $5.8 million in cap space.

As a vested veteran, Gilmore is not subject to waivers. At 4 p.m. ET, he will be free to sign with any team in the NFL. As one would imagine, there should be a huge market for the two-time All-Pro and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year.

In four seasons with the Patriots, Gilmore played 56 games. He picked off 11 passes and returned two for touchdowns, recording 52 total deflections in coverage. He also made 161 tackles and forced three fumbles, making the Pro Bowl three times in his four years in New England.

Julian Edelman welcomes TE Jonnu Smith to Patriots with Instagram post

The Patriots agreed to a 4-year deal with Jonnu Smith, and Julian Edelman seems excited about it.

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots opened free agency with a bang on Monday when the legal tampering period began, agreeing to terms with several impact players on both sides of the ball. Their biggest splash came when they landed tight end Jonnu Smith, who spent the first four years of his career with the Titans.

Smith is an athletic and dynamic pass catcher at tight end, joining a receiving corps that lacked talent for Cam Newton last year. He’s a major upgrade at a position that contributed very little in 2020, immediately becoming one of the top targets on offense.

After news broke of Smith’s deal with the Patriots, Edelman welcomed him to New England with an Instagram post that featured the young tight end in a Pats uniform.

In his career, Smith has caught 114 passes for 1,302 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those aren’t spectacular numbers, but they’re significantly better than any tight end New England currently has on the roster.

The Patriots clearly want to gather weapons for Newton, or whoever will start at quarterback come September.