The Patriots made some changes to their 53-man roster on Wednesday evening.
New England has claimed former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson off waivers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
To create a roster spot for Wilson, the Patriots have placed third-year running back Rhamondre Stevenson on the injured reserve, a source tells The Patriots Beat.
Starting with Marco Wilson, the defensive back, adds depth to a depleted cornerback room filled with injuries. Wilson, 24, played at the University of Florida for all four years of his college career. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Wilson in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. With the Cardinals, he started 37 of his 43 games the past three years, recording 158 tackles, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions. Wilson has been a significant part of the Cardinals defense for the past three years, totaling 2,200 defensive snaps.
The Patriots recently placed J.C. Jackson on the non-football illness list. The Patriots placed the veteran cornerback on the NFI list due to mental health issues. Since the Patriots are shallow at the position, the signing of Marco Wilson makes sense. Along with defense experience, Wilson has registered 195 snaps on special teams this season. The 24-year-old will join Jonathan Jones, Shaun Wade, Myles Braynt, and Alex Austin as the team’s cornerbacks.
In addition, according to a source, the Patriots have placed Rhamondre Stevenson on the injured reserve.
Stevenson, 25, suffered a high ankle sprain against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13 of the NFL season and hasn’t returned since. The third-year starter will end his junior campaign with 619 rushing and four touchdowns. He added 238 yards in the receiving game and saw 194 total touches this year.
Since Stevenson has been injured, veteran Ezekiel Elliott has taken over RB1 duties. Elliott is coming off his best stretch, recording two touchdowns in the last three weeks. Additionally, the Patriots recently signed 2022 draft pick Kevin Harris to the active roster.
In their first practice of the week, the Patriots had three players listed as non-participants: safety Jalen Mills (concussion), safety Jabrill Peppers (hamstring), and tackle Trent Brown (illness). All didn’t practice.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle), tight end Hunter Henry (knee), linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (knee), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (illness), Defensive lineman Christian Barmore (knee), defensive back Myles Bryant (chest), cornerback Jonathan Jones (knee), special teamer Matthew Slater (hamstring), and cornerback Shaun Wade (hip) were all limited participants,
Meanwhile, the team listed tackle Tyrone Wheatley (knee) as a full participant. A source told The Patriots Beat, that Wheatly has been progressing well. It doesn’t mean he’ll be activated off the injured reserve before the end of the season, but he’s working hard. He has constantly been in the Patriots’ training facility and continues to work his way back.
The Patriots will practice again on Thursday in preparation for their Week 17 matchup against the Bills in Buffalo.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
