Patriots make a depth trade
Patriots add to the OL for running back Pierre Strong Jr.
The New England Patriots have traded running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
With the addition of Ezekiel Elliott and the offensive line struggles in the preseason, this trade certainly makes sense as the Patriots finalize their 53 man roster.
Wheatley played tight end at Michigan and Stony Brook before moving to the offensive line. Unfortunately, he has not been able to secure a full time roster spot since entering the league in 2020.
The 26-year-old tackle has bounced around on practice squads. First he was with the Chicago Bears and the Las Vegas Raiders, before signing a futures contract with the Browns in January of 2023. He stands at 6’6” and is 320 pounds. He has yet to appear in a regular season game.
Coming into camp, Strong was thought to be a lock on the roster given he was just drafted by the Patriots in 2022. However, Elliott has now added much needed depth that the Patriots could afford to part with the young back who would have been the number four option behind Stevenson, Elliott and Kevin Harris.
This trade could secure a roster spot for running back and special teamer JJ Taylor.
Taylor impressed in the second preseason game against the Packers as he averaged 7.3 yards on four carries and also caught three passes for 27 yards. He saw less work offensively in the most recent game, despite making his presence felt on two kickoffs accumulating 53 total yards.
The deadline to finalize the roster to 53 is Tuesday. Expect various cuts and trades to occur around the NFL over the next 48 hours. As always, with the Patriots and every other team there is bound to be at least a few surprise moves.
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