4 of Patriots’ 5 starting offensive linemen miss practice Wednesday

David Andrews was the only Patriots starter on the offensive line at practice.

The New England Patriots were without four of their top five offensive linemen during practice on Wednesday ahead of the team’s matchup with the Houston Texans in Week 5.

Not only did the team place tackle Isaiah Wynn and guard Michael Onwenu on the COVID-19/reserve list on Tuesday, but the Patriots were also without tackle Trent Brown and guard Shaq Mason at practice. Brown was limited with a calf issue last week after he suffered an injury in Week 1. The reason for Mason’s absence is unclear.

If they are vaccinated, Wynn and Onwenu could return for the team’s matchup against the Texans, but it’s possible they will miss every practice this week.

David Andrews is the lone starter who was present for practice. The Patriots offensive line depth includes Joe Thuney, Yasir Durant, Justin Herron and Yodny Cajuste.

New England will kick off against Houston at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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Two Patriots appear on ESPN’s all-value team for the 2021 season

These two players give the Patriots great value with team-friendly contracts.

The New England Patriots had an unorthodox offseason by handing out unusually large contracts to new players coming in.

Matthew Judon came in on a four-year deal for $54 million, Jonnu Smith is collecting $50 million on a four-year deal and Hunter Henry is making $37 million on a three-year deal. Players like Jalen Mills (four-year, $24 million) and Nelson Agholor (two-year, $22 million) also had large paydays.

Typically, the Patriots only work with team-friendly contracts and Tom Brady’s deals with the organization were the perfect example. Players have been willing to give discounts in exchange for winning and being a part of the Patriots’ culture.

Brady’s absence makes this a difficult feat now, but there are still a few players willing to give a hometown discount. Shaq Mason and David Andrews made ESPN’s all-value team for the 2021 season.

“The Patriots signed Mason to this extension in August 2018, one full year before he could hit the free-agent market,” Mike Tanier of ESPN began. “It looked like a whopper at the time, especially for a former fourth-round pick at the least glamorous (and perhaps least impactful) position on the field. But top guards now make upward of $14 million per year, while Mason will cost the Patriots roughly $10 million per year over the next two seasons. And he is one of the best in the business.

“To repeat the chorus, it pays to get young core veterans on long contracts before they get a chance to test the market.”

Mason’s deal isn’t at the top of the list for his position, but he’s still making great money. Andrews’ deal on the other hand, is much more team-friendly at $19 million for four years.

“Andrews missed the 2019 season with blood clots in his lungs and part of 2020 with a thumb injury,” Tanier continued. “Rather than test a free-agent market likely to be wary of his health history, Andrews re-signed with the Patriots for what sure looks like a hometown discount.

“Andrews and Mason have helped the Patriots’ offensive line rank in the top 10 in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards metric every year since they entered the NFL together in 2015. Their affordable contracts will allow them to provide stability for years to come.”

The Patriots have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and these value contracts help significantly in making that happen.

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Tom Brady’s former Patriots teammates react to his NFC Championship victory

There’s no love lost for the GOAT.

It’s clear there was no bad blood when Tom Brady took his talents to Tampa Bay.

The 43-year-old gave everything he had to the New England Patriots and that resulted in nine Super Bowl appearances and six victories. He dedicated two decades of his life to the franchise, and he was ready to experience life outside of Gillette Stadium. Now, the Buccaneers quarterback is en route to his tenth Super Bowl appearance after defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-26 in the NFC Championship Game.

Following the astounding feat, Brady’s former Patriots teammates went to Twitter to congratulate him on the victory — making sure it was known he’s the greatest to ever do it.

Now it’s time for Brady to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

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Patriots Week 17 inactives: C David Andrews, RG Shaq Mason, LB Terez Hall out

The Patriots are losing some much-needed depth on the offensive line.

The New England Patriots will be without two starting offensive linemen in their Week 17 matchup against the New York Jets.

New England is 6-9 and looking for a win to cap off the season. That task will be much more difficult with center David Andrews (calf) and right guard Shaq Mason (foot) out of the mix. Anfernee Jennings, Terez Hall, Brian Hoyer, D’Angelo Ross and Dee Virgin will also miss the contest.

Running back Damien Harris was placed on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury and he’ll miss the remainder of his second season in the league. The Patriots are extremely slim at running back, with Sony Michel and and James White as the primary options.

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Patriots place Sony Michel, Shaq Mason, Derek Rivers on Reserve/COVID-19 list

New England will be missing several players heading into Sunday’s game.

The New England Patriots will be a little bit short heading into Sunday’s game. Running backs Sony Michel, guard Shaq Mason and defensive end Derek Rivers were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this weekened.

The losses of Mason in particular leave some tinkering to be done within the Patriots offensive line. Rivers has recorded six tackles and 2.5 sacks so far this season or New England. He has proven himself to be a viable pass rusher on defense. Michel, meanwhile, was already on injured reserve with a quad injury.

As the New England Patriots get set to take on the Denver Broncos, it will be interesting to see how the organization adapts to the losses of those three players. In a season that has been unlike any other, this news is just another example of the twist and turns this season has presented.

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Two former Georgia Bulldog stars join NFL Reserve/COVID-19 list

Two former Georgia Bulldog players have joined the Reserve/COVID-19 list: New England Patriots RB Sony Michel and Jaguars WR Terry Godwin.

Two former Georgia Bulldog players have joined the Reserve/COVID-19 list. New England Patriots running back Sony Michel joins the list. The Patriots additionally added Shaq Mason and Derek Rivers to the list.

If a player is put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, then it doesn’t always mean that they have the virus. Some players on the list have simply come into contact with people who have tested positive.

New England will be without some key players ahead of Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. Sony Michel has rushed for 173 yards on only 26 carries this season. Michel hasn’t played since Sept. 27.

The Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad placed a dozen of their players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, including former Georgia Bulldog wide receiver Terry Godwin. Jacksonville’s starters isolate from their practice squad.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network and Field Yates of ESPN reported the stories. Pelissero included the full list of Jaguar practice squad players on the list:

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The Patriots didn’t practice Wednesday, but they released a projected injury report

Julian Edelman was among the projected limited participants on Wednesday.

The New England Patriots couldn’t practice on Wednesday after putting three players on the Reserve- COVID-19 list, but they released an injury report based upon how they think the practice would have gone.

Defensive tackle Adam Butler (shoulder), receiver Julian Edelman (knee), guard Shaq Mason (calf) and tackle Isaiah Wynn (calf) were projected to be limited participants for Wednesday’s practice.

Quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Stephon Gilmore have tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Defensive tackle Bill Murray also went on the Reserve-COVID-19 this week. Because of Newton’s positive test, the NFL delayed the Patriots-Chiefs game one day. It’s unclear whether the Patriots-Broncos game in Week 5 will take place as scheduled.

If the Patriots play the Broncos, they’ll kick off at Gillette Stadium at 4:25 p.m.

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Shaq Mason, Jakobi Meyers among Patriots’ inactives for Week 4 vs. Chiefs

Mason’s absence will be signficant.

The New England Patriots have declared guard Shaq Mason, receiver Jakobi Meyers, tight end Dalton Keene and cornerback Myles Bryant as inactive for their Week 4 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.

This comes after a handful of roster moves this afternoon from New England. It placed running back Sony Michel and safety Cody Davis on injured reserve while adding Gunner Olszewski and Damien Harris to the 53-man roster from injured reserve. The Patriots also promoted receiver Isaiah Zuber to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

Mason was dealing with calf issue while Meyers, Keene and Bryant are healthy scratches. Meyers’ inactive comes while Isaiah Zuber got promoted to the 53-man roster on Monday. Keene, meanwhile, was a third-round pick in 2020, but hasn’t seen the field.

The Chiefs’ inactives include Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones. That’s a lucky break for the Patriots, who will be without Mason, their starting guard, and David Andrews, their starting center. Andrews is on injured reserve.

New England will kick off in Kansas City at 7:05 p.m. on Monday after the game was postponed one day due to positive COVID-19 tests from each team (Patriots QB Cam Newton, Chiefs QB Jordan Ta’amu).

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Cody Davis ruled out, Julian Edelman and Sony Michel listed as questionable vs. Chiefs

The Patriots will be without core special teamer Cody Davis vs. the Chiefs.

The New England Patriots will be without core special teamer Cody Davis on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Davis sustained a rib injury in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth quarter. He’s played 80.5 percent of special teams snaps this season (tied for the most) and his absence will be felt.

The Patriots listed Julian Edelman, Sony Michel, Isaiah Wynn, Adam Butler and Shaq Mason as questionable. James White, Damien Harris and Gunner Olszewski are all likely to return to the team this week also. The addition of these three players adds much-needed depth in a monumental game for the team.

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Here’s what Tedy Bruschi appreciated most after Patriots’ Week 1 victory

Tedy Bruschi felt most optimistic about this part of the Patriots’ game in Week 1.

The New England Patriots were clicking in all three phases of the game in a 21-11 victory against the Miami Dolphins.

Cam Newton came out with 15 rushes, 75 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, along with 155 passing yards. The team collectively rushed for 217 yards, which was the most among NFL teams after one week of play. Jake Bailey looked incredible punting the ball and Nick Folk looked to have promise, despite a missed 45-yarder.

The defense collected a league-leading three interceptions, continuing on from the league-high 25 picks they had last season. Everything about New England’s win showed promise after the departure of Tom Brady, but one aspect stood out especially to Tedy Bruschi.

The former Patriots standout linebacker joined WEEI’s ‘Ordway, Merloni & Fauria’ this week and discussed.

“What was real and what you can know is going to be there for you every single week is I was just so impressed with the dominance of the interior in terms of [David] Andrews, [Joe] Thuney, [Shaq] Mason, you see Isaiah Wynn out there throwing people around,” he said. “The offensive line was just great in my opinion in terms of how they ran the football and Cam being able to do the things that he did.

Just the movement that they are getting. When you’re watching from the sideline view and you’re watching on TV, and you just see the line of scrimmage move two yards. I think there’s real potential in this group. Andrews being back is just great. I think that’s real.”

If the Patriots want to continue this run-heavy, defensive-dominant gameplan, the offensive line will have to hold up. They proved to do that in Week 1 and it’ll be especially important they play strong against the difficult matchups in the near future.

The Patriots begin a difficult stretch of games with the Seattle Seahawks on the road Sunday night.

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