Tag: Tyrone Wheatley Jr.

Report: Patriots OT signs ERFA tender to stay in New England

Patriots OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. officially signed his ERFA tender on Friday

New England Patriots offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. officially signed his exclusive rights free agent tender on Friday, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

Wheatley was part of the trade that sent Pierre Strong Jr. to the Cleveland Browns in August 2023. He played in two games on special teams. His season was cut short in October after being placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. He was eligible to be activated in December, but ultimately, he was not activated by the team.

Wheatley will be able to work under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. He has some familiarity with both Van Pelt and offensive line coach Scott Peters, when all of their paths crossed during his time in Cleveland.

This may be an under-the-radar move, but it could prove to be important, as New England struggled with offensive line depth throughout the 2023 season. At the very least, New England was able to strike a deal before free agency begins in full on March 13.

Report: Patriots picking up contract option for OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr.

The Patriots have reportedly picked up the option on Tyrone Wheatley Jr.’s contract

The New England Patriots are reportedly picking up the exclusive rights free agent option on offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr.’s contract, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels.

It’s not a surprising move by the team considering the familiarity Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and offensive line coach Scott Peters has with Wheatley from their time together with the Cleveland Browns.

Wheatley doesn’t have much on-field experience, despite being in the NFL for nearly four years. He appeared in only two games for the Patriots in 2023 before going down with a knee injury. There’s hope that he can help provide depth at the tackle position when he’s healthy.

The Patriots face considerable uncertainty at the position with both Trent Brown and Mike Onwenu on expiring deals and set to test the free agent market.

Along with picking up Wheatley’s option, the team picked up the exclusive rights free agent option on cornerback Alex Austin’s contract as well. If anything, these moves on Thursday are the Patriots setting the stage for free agency with far bigger decisions looming on the horizon.

Patriots make multiple roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game vs Raiders

It was a busy day for the Patriots before their big matchup with the Raiders on Sunday

It was a busy Saturday for the New England Patriots ahead of an important Week 6 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

The team is sitting at 1-4 and last place in the AFC East division. So there’s no denying the desperation within the Patriots’ organization heading into a must-win game against the Raiders.

One of the first orders of business was promoting rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham to the main roster on a new three-year deal, reportedly. Cunningham is a versatile player that can help the Patriots at quarterback, receiver and/or special teams.

The team also announced that four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon and offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr. were both being placed on injured reserve.

With two players going on IR, the corresponding moves to fill those roster positions were practice squad elevations for wide receiver Jalen Reagor and defensive lineman Jeremiah Pharms Jr.

Also, the team announced second-year wide receiver Tyquan Thornton was being activated off IR.

This could be viewed as a big opportunity for players like Thornton, Cunningham, Reagor and Pharms to show their worth with the rest of the team struggling. At this point, everyone could be on thin ice for the Patriots.

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Patriots Week 4 inactives: Davon Godchaux IN, Cole Strange OUT vs Cowboys

Christian Barmore and Davon Godchaux are both active for the Patriots

The New England Patriots will be shorthanded heading into a Week 4 battle with a Dallas Cowboys team that is widely regarded as a Super Bowl contender.

Before the plane left Foxborough, the Patriots announced cornerback Jonathan Jones and guard Cole Strange had been downgraded as out for the game.

Rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade have done a tremendous job keeping things afloat on the backend of the defense. That effort must continue against a potentially explosive Cowboys offense still looking for a breakout game.

Meanwhile, rookie offensive linemen Atonio Mafi and Sidy Sow will have to step up and fill the void left by Strange.

Here’s the full list of inactives for the Patriots and Cowboys:

The good news for the Patriots is their defensive line will remain intact with Christian Barmore and Davon Godchaux both being listed as active for Sunday’s game.

They’ll need all of the help they can get to survive the battle in the trenches against a Cowboys team capable of dominating on both sides of the ball.

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Patriots Week 3 inactives: Trent Brown IN, Jonathan Jones OUT vs. Jets

Who’s in and who’s out for the Patriots?

The New England Patriots will have their four primary starting offensive linemen in the lineup for the first time in the 2023 season.

Trent Brown, Mike Onwenu, Cole Strange and David Andrews will all be on the field for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.

It has been a revolving door at right tackle for the Patriots. So it remains to be seen how that position will shake out when facing a tough Jets defense. New England could give extended work to Vederian Lowe, or they could roll veteran Calvin Anderson out for a third straight week.

Regardless, the offensive line will be in a much better position to protect quarterback Mac Jones and finally get the run game going. Here’s the full list of inactives for the Patriots and Jets:

Cornerback Jonathan Jones was ruled out for the game on Saturday. So the Patriots will be entering this game depleted in the defensive backfield.

It’ll be down to rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez, Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade to hold off a Jets receiving corps spearheaded by star wideout Garrett Wilson.

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Bill Belichick explains reasoning for trading Pierre Strong Jr.

Bill Belichick shares thinking behind the Pierre Strong Jr. trade.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick explained his reasoning for trading running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr.

“You’re not looking to get rid of anybody, but you had to give up something to get a player that we feel like we needed,” said Belichick, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Strong was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He saw little time for the Patriots on the field, recording only 10 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown last season. His best performance came in a December meeting with the Arizona Cardinals, when he carried the ball five times for 70 yards and a touchdown.

However, he was never able to expand his role from that point on.

Getting Wheatley in return could help bolster a Patriots offensive line that struggled over the course of the preseason. The team should be getting some help soon with starting guards, Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu, working their way back from injuries.

Depth is a serious need along the offensive front for the Patriots, and they couldn’t pass on an opportunity to improve their chances of competing in the trenches in 2023.

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Report: Patriots trade Pierre Strong Jr. to Browns for veteran OT

The Patriots have reportedly traded RB Pierre Strong Jr. to the Browns.

The New England Patriots have reportedly traded second-year running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for veteran offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the news on Sunday.

The Patriots clearly needed offensive tackle depth given the way the unit struggled throughout the preseason. Wheatley went undrafted in 2020, and this will be his third NFL team after spending time with the Browns and Chicago Bears.

So even though he’s a veteran by definition, he’s still considered as more of a developmental option offensive lineman. He has yet to appear in a regular season game in either one of his previous two stops.

Strong’s exit possibly paves the way for Ty Montgomery, Kevin Harris or maybe even J.J. Taylor to earn a spot on the final roster.

Injuries have derailed Montgomery in back-to-back training camps, but there’s no denying he’s the third-most talented player all-around on the depth chart.

Harris would be a bit redundant for what the team already has in Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott, but Taylor, who had a great preseason run, could add another element with his speed, versatility and shifty footwork.

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Patriots brought in three players for workouts on Sunday

The Patriots had in three for a workout on Sunday.

The New England Patriots are still kicking the tires on a number of positions ahead of the deadline for the 53-man roster cut.

As previously reported, the team had former Chicago Bears receiver Dazz Newsome in for a workout on Sunday. However, the Patriots also had defensive back Bubba Bolden and offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. in for visits as well, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Wheatley went undrafted in 2020 and spent some time in The Spring League in 2021, before being signed by the Chicago Bears. He was waived back in May and ultimately landed with the Las Vegas Raiders for a short time.

Now, he’s back on the search for another opportunity, and it could end up being with a Patriots team that had been linked to trade rumors involving former first-round pick Isaiah Wynn.

Meanwhile, Bubba Bolden, the former Miami Hurricanes prospect, landed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie free agent and was waived after the team’s preseason loss to the Chicago Bears.

The Patriots could be looking for depth in the defensive backfield after losing both Joejuan Williams and Malcolm Butler to injuries.

Newsome, on the other hand, could add depth at receiver with Kristian Wilkerson recovering from a concussion and rookie Tyquan Thornton out for up to eight weeks.

It just goes to show that the Patriots are still trying to make moves, even with the cut deadline being set for Tuesday.

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Chicago Bears to sign OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.

The Bears have reportedly agreed to a deal with OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr., who participated in minicamp on a tryout basis.

The Chicago Bears concluded their mandatory minicamp on Thursday, but still had business to conduct before departing Halas Hall until training camp.

The Bears have reportedly agreed to a deal with free agent offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr., according to his agent.

Wheatley recently had a tryout with the Bears earlier this week, along with other players such as tight end Jake Butt and defensive lineman Michael Pennel.

Wheatley most recently played for the Blues in the Spring League as an offensive lineman after spending his college career as a tight end. He is the son of former Michigan star running back Tyrone Wheatley.

The team’s newest addition will look to earn a roster spot as a reserve on the offensive line when training camp begins in six weeks.

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