One of the mantras established by coach Mike Vrabel in his first season with the Patriots has been that every player on the roster–from quarterback Drake Maye down to the most recent additions to the practice squad–should prepare like a starter. Fortunately for New England, two of the newest players being added to the roster have some familiarity with starting in the NFL, so it’s not entirely a new leap.
The Patriots, as they prepare for the big Week 10 matchup against the Buccaneers–one of New England’s biggest measuring-stick games this season–will be without starters Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) in the offensive backfield and Christian Ellis (hip) at linebacker.
To replace them, the team made two moves on Saturday, announcing that they are bumping up two veterans from the practice squad: running back D’Ernest Johnson and linebacker Darius Harris.
Patriots Adding Experience Amid Injuries
Both bring experience to the Patriots’ mix.
Johnson has been in the NFL for seven seasons, playing 95 games for the Browns and Jaguars before this season, during which he has bounced from the Cardinals to the Patriots. He has tallied 989 yards in his career, on 215 carries, and has three starts to his credit.
Johnson was brought to New England before last week as concern grew over the health of Stevenson’s toe. The Patriots have kept mum about Stevenson’s long-term prognosis, but with rookie TreVeyon Henderson as the starter and practice-squad call-up Terrell Jennings as the RB2, the team needs experience in the unit.
Johnson was activated last week for New England, but did not play any offensive snaps–he was on the field for five special-teams plays.
Darius Harris Has Super Bowl Rings
Harris, meanwhile, has started six of the 38 games in which he has played in the NFL over six seasons, and appeared in seven playoff games with the Chiefs, with whom he won two Super Bowl titles.
Harris latched on with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and spent four seasons with the Chiefs. He played with the Cowboys last season but was let go this summer, and caught on with the Patriots. Harris was elevated to the active roster in Week 4 against the Panthers and is back in place of Ellis here in Week 10.
Patriots In Need of Depth After Deadline
One thing that Vrabel took to repeating this week is that his team is now on the verge of playing 10 straight games–the Patriots’ bye week comes in December. There is some concern that the wear and tear is beginning to show on the field, especially with uninspiring second-half performances.
With the Patriots having sat out the NFL trade deadlines, depth pieces, especially ones with experience, will be critical between now and the Week 14 bye.
Health and fatigue are certainly on Vrabel’s mind. “I think it has to be,” he said. “We just have to get them ready. We have to get them energized to be able to match Tampa’s energy coming off a few days off. I’m confident that by the time Sunday’s here, we’ll be able to do that.
“We’ve had extensive talks about what we think each guy needs and what we think the team needs.”
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