The 2020 season of the New England Patriots will come to an end on Sunday, with team 6-9 already being eliminated from the postseason dispute. On the eve of their last game against the New York Jets, however, the club still made a series of deals – including sending the team’s most productive run this year to the injured reserve list.
Let’s go over the plays, which have already been announced by the club, one by one.
RB Damien Harris: placed on injured reserve
Sending Harris to the reserve due to injuries is just a formality at this point to open an additional seat in the 53-player team for another player during the regular season final. After all, the running back of the second year was already out of the game against the Jets because of an ankle injury that has already cost him the last two games. Before his injury and after starting the year also on the IR, Harris appeared in 10 games for the Patriots and recorded 691 running yards, in addition to two touchdowns.
G Ross Reynolds: Elevated from the training team
With David Andrews and Shaq Mason already excluded from Sunday’s game due to calf injuries, the Patriots decided to increase their depth in attack using one of their game-day training elevations at Ross Reynolds. The striker first arrived in New England in November and will make his Patriots debut on Sunday. In fact, an appearance in the game would be the first in Reynold’s two years as a professional.
LB Cassh Maluia: Signed for the list of 53 men
As well as the Reynolds uplift, the Patriots adding Cassh Maluia to the 53-man squad of their training squad have also been reported on Saturday. The debutant linebacker, who has played a total of eight games for New England so far this season, offers depth in a position that has been bitten by injuries recently. Although he has only eight defensive pressures on his resume compared to 72 in the kick game, signing Maluia to the active team after he was already off the standard highs for the year gives the Patriots another body to work with. It also ensures that he is under contract for 2021.
LB Rashod Berry: Signed the list of 53 men
An undeveloped Ohio rookie, Berry saw time as a linebacker and tight end during his college career – offering depth in both positions at the professional level. So far, however, the Patriots have only used him in defense: he has played 26 snaps as a linebacker and situational pass rusher in his two games so far, as well as 18 more on special teams. As is the case with Maluia, Berry a) offers depth in an exhausted linebacker body and b) is now on the team in 2021, but does not need to sign a future pact after the season.
CB Michael Jackson Sr: Signed the list of 53 men
The Patriots sent a conditional choice for the seventh round in the 2022 draft to the Detroit Lions earlier this year to bring Jackson on board via trade. While he was on the New England training ground, he ended up failing to break one of the deepest NFL cornerback groups. Jackson was therefore released in early September before returning to the team’s training squad later that month. The 23-year-old has been on the Patriots’ development list ever since, but will now have a chance to prove himself on the 53-man team – at least for a day.
CB D’Angelo Ross: Elevated from the training team
Like Ross Reynolds, D’Angelo Ross is also expected to debut in the NFL on Sunday. A sophomore cornerback who spent the entire season debuting on injury, Ross was a member of the New England training team for the entire season. While it remains to be seen how much action he will have on a cornerback depth chart that doesn’t have Stephon Gilmore, but still has many bodies left – including Jackson – Ross being elevated at least gives him a chance to be part of a different game – day for the first time.