Patriots: Mystery O-lineman appears at practice and fans are confused
The Patriots had a No. 67 at practice on Thursday and nobody knew who he was.
The New England Patriots need some reinforcements along the offensive line after David Andrews was placed on injured reserve following thumb surgery. Though Joe Thuney has taken over at center and rookie Michael Onwenu has been a revelation after getting the starting nod at guard, that’s simply not enough support in case something else happens.
Bill Belichick understands that, because this team never misses a beat up front. He has guys stashed away that can pop in and contribute at a moment’s notice, and we have evidence of that being the case on Thursday ahead of the team’s matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
There was a new guy wearing No. 67 at practice and none of the beat writers knew who he was. Fans were equally confused when learning about this development on social media.
Bears a resemblance to interior OL Jordan Roos (Purdue/Seahawks-Raiders), who was in for COVID testing and a tryout a couple weeks ago. https://t.co/viZR904kwR
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 1, 2020
Is there a football version of Tinder that matches coaches up with desired players? How does Belichick always find these guys? Sorry, we didn’t mean to give you imagery of the future Hall of Fame coach ferociously swiping right when looking at your prototypical Patriots offensive lineman.
Pats insider Mike Reiss went as far to speculate it was Jordan Roos, who the team hosted for a workout a few weeks ago, though we’re still not sure it’s him. New England released a wideout (Mason Kinsey) and added an OL on Thursday, so this is clearly the guy they got.
In the spirit of speculation, Roos has appeared in 14 career games since being signed as an undrafted free agent back in 2017. He made the Seahawks’ 53-man roster and logged time in 2017 and 2019. He spent all of 2018 on Seattle’s practice squad.
https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/1311709969146884102?s=20
Nonetheless, whoever it is, it’s clear Belichick is favoring depth and strength along the offensive line since he’s likely preparing for a battle in the trenches with the Chiefs. After all, the only shot New England has at winning that game is by controlling the clock, winning the matchups up front, and rushing the ball with efficiency.
We’ll check back in with you on Sunday to see if No. 67 is helping out the cause.
