Tag: Tre Nixon

Former Patriots wide receiver announces retirement on social media

A former Patriots draft pick is hanging up the cleats

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Tre Nixon announced his retirement on social media Monday.

Nixon was selected in the seventh round with the No. 242 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He spent three seasons with the Patriots and had the honorable distinction of being the last draft pick selected by then-Patriots director of football research Ernie Adams.

Nixon was never able to make the Patriots’ roster. He was signed to the practice squad and waived before the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

A shoulder injury during the preseason against the Green Bay Packers derailed his 2023 season.

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Nixon certainly had a ton of potential coming out of UCF. Unfortunately, things did not work out during his time in New England.

He still has the rare distinction of being a player drafted to an NFL team. That’s an incredible accomplishment in its own right that no one can ever take away.

Patriots make two roster moves to beef up defensive line

The Patriots added more size to their defensive front on Tuesday.

The New England Patriots were busy on Tuesday. On one hand, the team was returning to practice for the first time since Saturday’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, and on the other hand, they were making a couple of roster moves to beef up their defensive line.

The team announced they had signed former Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Marquan McCall to a deal.

It’s a move that adds even more beef to the Patriots’ defensive front, which is something the unit could have used in their struggles slowing down Green Bay’s rushing attack. They’d essentially be building a wall with the 345-pound McCall, who could have probably started in Carolina with the right scheme fit.

It’s a good signing for the Patriots that could ultimately pay off if the second-year defender makes the final roster.

In a corresponding move, the Patriots waived injured receiver Tre Nixon. He will revert back to New England’s injured reserve if he clears waivers.

His chances of making the roster were always going to be slim with the sudden emergence of rookie sixth-round draft picks Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. The Patriots could potentially be in a situation where they keep six receivers on the roster.

It’s another tough break for Nixon, who always seems to be on the cusp of making it.

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Madden 24 ratings for every Patriots wide receiver

How did EA Sports rate the Patriots’ receiving corps in “Madden NFL 24”?

The New England Patriots’ wide receiver position has probably been the most contentiously debated amongst fans. So it’s no surprise there has been plenty of excitement surrounding the “Madden NFL 24” player ratings reveal at the position.

After losing Jakobi Meyers in free agency, the Patriots brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster to join the likes of DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton.

None of those names jump off on paper exactly as a true No. 1 receiving option, but they are all quality targets for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Will it be enough firepower to compete in an AFC East division that’s arguably the best in football?

Good luck with that.

Here’s a look at the ratings for every Patriots receiver on the roster for the upcoming “Madden NFL 24” video game:

5 biggest takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots’ open OTAs practice

It was an eventful day at the Patriots’ second open OTAs practice.

There was a fight, standout plays by rookies and more promising signs from quarterback Mac Jones and the offense at Day 2 of the New England Patriots’ open OTAs practice.

This was only the second time the Patriots’ OTAs session was made public to the media.

During an earlier media conference, coach Bill Belichick noted the team would have a lighter practice day. So things were a bit slower than usual on the football field.

Of course, that still didn’t stop tempers from flaring with linebacker Anfernee Jennings and offensive guard Cole Strange getting into a scuffle that led to a punch being thrown by defensive tackle Christian Barmore.

Both Barmore and Strange were pulled from practice after the incident, but they were still allowed to stay on the field and watch from the sidelines. It was an eventful day for the Patriots, to say the least.

Here are five of the biggest takeaways from Tuesday’s practice:

Patriots 2023 NFL draft preview: Where do Patriots stand at WR?

Mac Jones could use another big target. Will the Patriots draft a receiver in the first round?

The wide receiver position has long been a thorn in the side of the New England Patriots.

Even when Tom Brady was still under center, the Patriots struggled to keep top receiving talent on the field. It obviously isn’t due to a lack of trying considering they’ve used a first and second-round pick on a wideout in two of the last four NFL drafts.

The team has struggled drafting and developing players at the position. They also haven’t prioritized spending a lot of money for elite, playmaking receivers. Will this finally be the year where they go after one of the top wideouts on the draft board and hit a home run with the selection?

Let’s break down where the Patriots stand right now at the position ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

Many familiar faces return to practice after initially being cut by Patriots

Multiple preseason fan favorites were back at practice on Wednesday.

There were plenty of familiar faces back at practice after initially being cut by the New England Patriots on Tuesday.

Like the rest of the league, the Patriots went through the tough process of trimming their rosters down to 53 players. On Wednesday, many of the players on the cut list went on waivers with the chance of being claimed by another team.

The Patriots were fortunate that tight end Devin Asiasi was their only former player that got claimed on waivers. So that paved the way for a slew of fan favorites to return, including Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Tre Nixon, J.J. Taylor and LaBryan Ray.

Even veteran cornerback Terrance Mitchell was spotted at practice.

There was also a reported “mystery lineman” wearing a No. 68 jersey. Could it be Drew Desjarlais?

The Patriots will lean on some of their practice squad talent to fill roles at certain points throughout the season for a team that currently has more questions than answers.

At the very least, there are several players within the group that showed they were up for the challenge during the preseason slate.

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Patriots cut preseason standouts Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Tre Nixon

Patriots cut wideouts Humphrey and Nixon.

Receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Tre Nixon were two of the standout players on offense for the New England Patriots in the preseason. But it still couldn’t save them from Tuesday’s axe, ahead of the NFL’s roster cut deadline.

The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan reported the news on Humphrey, while Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed had the news on Nixon.

Humphrey is a bit of a surprise considering his unique physical gifts. Sure, he’s listed as a receiver, but his size has him more in line with a tight end at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds.

There has been talk of the Patriots potentially using him in that role, too. It especially made sense with the team’s decision to cut both 2020 third-round draft picks Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi. And the team was already down a couple of receivers with rookie Tyquan Thornton out for up to eight weeks and Kristian Wilkerson dealing with a concussion.

Humphrey could have essentially checked both the tight end and receiver box in one for the Patriots.

Meanwhile, Nixon was spent the preseason making plays like this.

It’s so long to Humphrey and Nixon, but it may not be goodbye. Both players are still eligible to return to the Patriots’ practice squad.

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Bill Belichick says ‘nobody works harder’ than one player on Patriots

Bill Belichick has high praise for one second-year player.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick doesn’t throw around compliments for his own players loosely. So it was definitely noteworthy when he made the claim that “nobody works harder” than second-year receiver Tre Nixon.

The comments came after Nixon hauled in four receptions for 81 yards, including a 36-yarder from rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, in Thursday’s preseason opener against the New York Giants.

It was an impressive bounce-back performance by the former seventh-round pick out of Central Florida, after an ugly drop in the first half had him shaking his head. But instead of allowing himself to be rattled by that one mistake, Nixon stepped up as one of the biggest impact players on the field.

“Nobody works harder than he does,” Belichick said after the game, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “He’s one of the hardest-working players on the team.”

Nixon is hoping not to get lost in the shuffle of receivers trying to make the final roster.

Opportunity is clearly knocking right now with a Patriots roster facing a lot of question marks, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. One of the biggest gripes with the unit over the years has been the inability to stretch the field.

Nixon stood out as a quality deep threat for Zappe, who looked as cool as the other side of a pillow when connecting on deep throws.

As always, it’ll be a tough process for Belichick when whittling down the roster. But it’s also a fact that the Patriots weren’t the only team watching what happened on Thursday night.

Whether it’s in New England or someplace else, Nixon will be in a uniform in 2022.

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Mac Jones teams up with Patriots WRs Nelson Agholor, Tre Nixon for workout

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones teamed up with two wide receivers on Wednesday.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had a throwing session on Wednesday, with training camp on the horizon.

Wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Tre Nixon joined the quarterback. Agholor recorded 37 catches for 473 yards and three touchdowns last year in what was considered a down season.

Nixon is trying to make a name for himself in what is becoming a crowded wide receivers room. It appears as if he’s on the right path. ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote a story earlier this week that explained how Nixon was impressive over the course of minicamp.

Jones has held several workouts with his receivers over the course of this off-season. He even managed to get some work in with wide receiver DeVante Parker, shortly after the latter came over from Miami.

As Jones looks to improve upon his rookie season, he is trying to make sure that everybody is on the same page.

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ESPN’s Mike Reiss labels this Patriots WR as minicamp standout

Wide receiver Tre Nixon has some momentum heading into training camp.

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The New England Patriots are looking ahead to training camp, with minicamp in the books. One particular wide receiver stood out as everything concluded.

Depth at the wide receiver position is plentiful. The acquisition of DeVante Parker from the Miami Dolphins was a key move this offseason. Drafting Tyquan Thornton out of Baylor signified that the Patriots wanted to continue to remake the wide receiver room.

Despite all of the positional shuffling, there are still players in-house that have the chance to make an impact. Tre Nixon is one of them. He was a member of New England’s 2021 draft class. He was impressive at minicamp, so much so that ESPN’s Mike Reiss labeled him as a surprise standout.

“The 2021 seventh-round pick caught two deep passes from Mac Jones — one of which he pinned to his chest with his right hand while covered tightly — to earn himself an unexpected trip to the post-practice interview podium,” Reiss wrote. “Nixon, who drove to the stadium every day last season with Jones as they took their COVID tests together before entering the facility, spent 2021 on the practice squad. He faces a crowded WR depth chart headlined by DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, but he has made an early case as a player to watch when training camp begins.”

That crowded depth chart could work against him as he looks to make his case in the wide receiver room. However, there is little doubt that Nixon has talent. He caught 1,671 yards and 13 touchdowns and four seasons at UCF. He had the distinction of being the final draft pick for former director of player personnel Ernie Adams.

Although the wide receiver room is crowded, Nixon’s impressive showing from minicamp should work in his favor as training camp begins.

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