Patriots Sign Familiar OL to Practice Squad - Pats Tracker

While Jones has attacked Raiders management in a series of social media posts, he apparently has retained his affection for the Patriots owner.

From 2012-15, Jones was one of New England’s most electrifying defenders. He was drafted by the Patriots out of Syracuse in the first round with the 21st overall selection in 2012 and blossomed into Pro Bowl player and was voted onto New England’s All-2010s Team.

OCT. 11 RAMS SIGN FORMER PATRIOTS LINEBACKER - The Los Angeles Rams signed former New England Patriots linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi to their practice on Wednesday.

Last January, Fatukasi signed a reserve/future contract with the Patriots before being cut during training camp in August.

Fatukasi, the former Rutgers Scarlet Knight, has already spent time with four different teams prior to joining the Rams' practice squad despite just being in his second season as a professional. After spending last season as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster, where he played in 13 games, he bounced around last offseason, spending time with the Denver Broncos, Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs, most recently before he was cut.

OCT. 11 FORMER PATS PLAYER SERGIO BROWN ARRESTED IN MEXICO - In a sad, but not surprising next chapter of a mystery involving Sergio Brown, the former Patriots safety has reportedly been arrested in Mexico in connection with the murder of his mother. 

After being seen partying in the wake of his mother's September death, Brown was deported from Mexico Tuesday, taken into custody near San Diego and will return to Illinois to face charges. After family members originally reported Sergio and his mother, Myrtle, missing, the 73-year-old mother was found dead Sept. 19 of homicide near her home in a suburb of Chicago.

Brown was listed as "missing" by police, but quickly surfaced in a social media video in which he referenced the 2003 children's movie, Finding Nemo.

“They ain’t never seen ‘Finding Nemo’?" Brown said in a video in which he breaks into laughter. "Just keep swimming!”

Brown was later seen in another video earlier this month partying and dancing with twerking women at a club in Tulum, Mexico - seemingly carefree as the investigation into his mother’s murder continued.

Brown went undrafted out of Notre Dame and signed with the Pats as a free agent in 2010. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2016.

OCT. 6 PATRIOTS' DIVISION GETS EVEN TOUGHER WITH DOLPHINS TRADE - A tough AFC East just became more difficult - and unattainable? - for the Patriots, as the Dolphins' high-powered offense acquired another weapon. Miami on Friday morning traded for disgruntled Bears' receiver Chase Claypool.

The Dolphins are sending a 2025 6th-round draft pick to Chicago for Claypool and a '25 7th-rounder. The Bears gave up the 32nd pick in the 2023 draft to acquire Claypool from the Steelers.

Claypool made the NFL All-Rookie team in 2020 after catching 62 passes and nine touchdowns in Pittsburgh. His production, however, has dramatically declined and he caught only 18 passes in 10 games with Chicago.

He brings another talented weapon to Miami, which is already the NFL's highest-scoring team led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, running back Raheem Mostert and receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Wadde.

The 1-3 Patriots trail the Bills and Dolphins in the AFC East, with two games remaining against Buffalo and a rematch in Miami Oct. 29. The Pats held the Dolphins to only 24 points but lost in Week 2 in Foxboro.

With the addition of Claypool and the loss of star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, New England's path to being competitive within its division just became more complicated.

SEPT. 30 PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK MAC JONES NOT FINED FOR ALLEGED ‘BELOW THE BELT’ HIT ON JETS’ SAUCE GARDNER — It appears that the ‘confrontation’ between New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner was ‘much ado about nothing,’ after all.  

The NFL revealed on Saturday that Jones, 25, will not face discipline after video review failed to display sufficient evidence to support Gardner’s claim that Jones hit him with a cheap shot following the Jets’ 15-10 loss to the Patriots last Sunday. 

Gardner sent the national NFL media circuits into a frenzy on Sunday night when alleging that Jones intentionally hit him in his "private parts" following a brief, physical encounter early in the fourth quarter. He further put the exaggeration machine into overdrive when claiming to have video evidence to support his claims of the Pats’ quarterback assaulting his nether region. 

Expectedly, Jones denied any nefarious intent, instead expressing his respect for Gardner and stating that any contact was inadvertent and unintentional.

The conflict began as Jones was trying to gain a first down on third-and-1 from the Jets 45-yard line early in the game’s final quarter. As he pushed forward, Jets defenders filled the middle to stop the Pats’ quarterback’s progress. Though Jones continued to keep his legs moving, New York linebacker C.J. Mosley looked to end the play by slamming the quarterback to the ground.

As Jones attempted to get to his feet, he reached his hand out to Gardner, who brushed it aside. Gardner then said that when Jones got up, the quarterback bumped into him while striking him below the belt. Gardner, in turn, retaliated by shoving Jones back to the MetLife Stadium turf.

In addition to his run-in with Gardner, Jones has previously faced claims of questionable playing style habits following a 2021 dust-up with Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns and receiving a fine in 2022 for a hit on veteran cornerback Eli Apple, then with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Ironically, none of the principal parties involved in the altercation — Jones, Gardner or Mosely — were fined for their actions. 

Instead, two other Patriots were docked by the league office for improper hits during Week 3. Safety Jabrill Peppers was fined $43,709 for unnecessary roughness, his second violation of the NFL’s  “impermissible use of the helmet/launching” rule. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was fined $16,391 for unnecessary roughness, as well. 

SEPT. 30 ZEKE RING OF HONOR? As New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott is set to make his return to AT&T Stadium for the first time since being released by the Dallas Cowboys last offseason, owner Jerry Jones is already thinking about potentially inducing him into their Ring of Honor.

“I do. Yes I do. I sure do,” Jones said about Elliott's candidacy. “It’s what he did for the team. Frankly, I thought he was very influential in the image of the Cowboys. Away from the field or as to the field as it was perceived with our fans. Just the entertainment of the Cowboys. To me, I look to that when I think about the Ring of Honor.”

Zeke certainly left his impact on the Cowboys franchise, as he rushed for 8,384 yards and 68 touchdowns on 1,881 attempts. In addition, Elliott was a first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler.

SEPT. 29 EX PATRIOTS STAR CHANDLER JONES ARRESTED IN LAS VEGAS - Sadly, we knew it was headed for this outcome. After a couple of turbulent weeks featuring rambling accusations on social media and a trip to a behavioral health facility, former Patriots' star Chandler Jones has been arrested in Las Vegas.

According to TMZ, the 33-year-old Jones was taken into custody for "violating a protective order."

The arrest comes one day after Jones took to Twitter to accuse former Patriots assistant/current Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels of having ex Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez killed. He then went live on Instagram and began crying uncontrollably.

It was Jones who last December returned the Patriots' "Lunatic Lateral" for a bizarre game-ending touchdown in Las Vegas. He's in the second season of a three-year, $51 million free agent contract signed in 2022.

SEPT. 28 CHANDLER JONES SAGA TAKES MORE SAD, DARK TURNS - The sad spiral of former Patriots' star Chandler Jones took more deep, dark turns Thursday. Jones, who won a ring in Super Bowl XLIX with New England, went on social media with wild accusations about former Patriots assistant coach Josh McDaniels and later began crying uncontrollably during a video in which he said former teammate Aaron Hernandez did not, in fact, commit suicide in prison.

McDaniels is now the head coach for Jones' team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Hernandez, the former Pats' star tight end who was convicted of murder, was found dead in his prison cell in 2017.

Jones said this week that he was taken to a behavioral health facility "against my will," but now is apparently out while on the Raiders' non-football injury list.

Wrote Jones on Twitter: "Josh McDaniels had my twin Aaron Hernandez killed at industrial park, not in jail."

In separate tweets, Jones also called McDaniels and Raiders owner Mark Davis "slave masters" and showed a screenshot of the NFL Players Association reaching out in an attempt to help him.

During his live broadcast on Instagram, Jones shined a flashlight at the camera and then began crying at the notion that people believe Hernandez - whom he refers to as "Rico" - committed suicide in prison.

An hour after that broadcast Jones was back on Twitter writing, "I’m about to hang with strippers don’t check on my well being.. they got me."

It was Jones who last December returned the Patriots' "Lunatic Lateral" for a bizarre game-ending touchdown in Las Vegas. He's in the second season of a three-year, $51 million free agent contract signed in 2022.

SEPT. 27 CHIEFS' STAR TRAVIS KELCE APPLAUDS BELICHICK'S TAYLOR SWIFT 'CATCH' LINE - While couples across America argue about Taylor Swift simply becoming Travis Kelce's girlfriend or Kelce simply being "made famous" by Swift, one thing is clear: Patriots coach Bill Belichick may have delivered the funniest line of his career toward the new "it" couple.

During a radio appearance this week, Belichick said "Kelce’s had a lot of big catches in his career. This would be the biggest.”

The line got back to the Kansas City Chiefs' tight end, who gave Belichick credit on the New Heights podcast he co-hosts with brother, Philadelphia Eagles' offensive lineman Jason.

"He hasn't talked much about me outside of game weeks that we've played, but he made sure to remind me that that's the best catch I've ever had in my life," Kelce joked. "Shout out to Bill."

Belichick attended a Swift concert last Spring at Gillette Stadium and considers himself a "Swiftie," even though he's not 100-percent sure what it means.

SEPT. 27 FORMER PATRIOTS LINEBACKER KYLE VAN NOY SIGNS WITH BALTIMORE RAVENS  - The Baltimore Ravens are signing former New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy to their practice squad. The 32-year-old, who had been a free agent this offseason, visited the Ravens on Tuesday. 

Originally a second-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2014, Van Noy spent much of his time in the Motor City as a role player on defense. During the 2016 season, he was traded to the Patriots where he became a significant contributor to the Pats front seven. During his time in New England, Van Noy helped the Patriots to two Super Bowl victories.

Playing 81.9 percent of defensive snaps for the number one scoring defense [2019 Patriots] in football, he registered a team-high 51.5 quarterback pressures and also forced three fumbles, recovered two, and scored a touchdown.

During the 2020 offseason, Van Noy signed a 4-year, $51 million deal with the Miami Dolphins, cashing in on the best season of his career. After only one season in Miami Gardens, he was cut by the Dolphins in a cost-cutting measure. The move paved the way for his return to New England for 2021. Van Noy spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, starting 13 of the 17 games in which he played for the Bolts. 

SEPT. 26 EX PATRIOTS STAR TAKEN TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FACILITY - Former Patriots' star Chandler Jones wrote in a social media post this week that he was taken to a hospital "against my will" by the Las Vegas Fire Department, and later transferred to a behavioral health facility.

"I'm still confused on what I did wrong. I'm stuck here. I'm very sane," Jones wrote. "I'm to strong of a person to be mentally broken."

In the wake of a string of troubling social media posts, he was recently placed on the "non-football illness" list by the Las Vegas Raiders. Jones, who spent his four seasons with the Patriots, has been inactive for the Raiders' first two games.

Earlier this month, he posted alarming demands saying he didn't want to play for the Raiders or former Pats' assistant/Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels. Last week he posted since-deleted messages about missing last week's game because "someone was molesting my God daughter" and seemingly, indirectly, implicating Raiders owner Mark Davis.

While the Raiders are only referring to Jones' status as a "private matter", Jones later claimed his Twitter account was hacked.

It was Jones who last December returned the Patriots' "Lunatic Lateral" for a bizarre game-ending touchdown. He's in the second season of a three-year, $51 million free agent contract signed in 2022.

SEPT. 25 ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR J.C. JACKSON - An arrest warrant was issued for Los Angeles Chargers cornerback J.C Jackson on Monday per Chris Mason of Mass Live News. Mason reported that Jackson was due to appear in Attleboro District Court for a probation violation on Friday, but he didn't show up. As a result, there's now a warrant for his arrest in Massachusetts. 

Jackson played for the New England Patriots from 2018 to 2021 and had 25 interceptions across that span. 

The Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.

SEPT. 24 USHER PERFORMING AT SUPER BOWL LVIII - Usher will be the headlining performer at the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime show, it was announced on Sunday.

“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” said Usher. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”

The game takes place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 11, 2024, and is airing on CBS.

SEPT. 20 EX PATRIOTS STAR CHANDLER JONES PLACED ON NON-FOOTBALL ILLNESS BY RAIDERS - In the wake of a string of troubling social media posts, defensive end Chandler Jones has been placed on the "non-football illness" list by the Las Vegas Raiders. Jones, who spent his four seasons with the Patriots, has been inactive for the Raiders' first two games.

Earlier this month, he posted alarming demands saying he didn't want to play for the Raiders or former Pats' assistant/Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels. This week he posted since-deleted messages about missing last week's game because "someone was molesting my God daughter" and seemingly, indirectly, implicating Raiders owner Mark Davis.

While the Raiders are only referring to Jones' status as a "private matter", Jones now claims his Twitter account was hacked.

It was Jones who last December returned the Patriots' "Lunatic Lateral" for a bizarre game-ending touchdown.

On the non-football illness list, he will miss at least the next four games for Las Vegas. Players around the NFL are expressing concern for Jones' mental health.

SEPT. 19 DOLPHINS SIGN EX PATS DRAFT PICK BYRON COWART - Former Patriots' draft pick Byron Cowart is joining his fifth NFL team in five years, as the Dolphins signed the defensive lineman to their practice squad on Tuesday. Selected in the fifth round in 2019, he started 14 games in his second season in Foxboro.

He missed the 2021 season on New England's reserve/PUP list before being released in 2022. Since then he's been signed by the Colts, Chiefs and Texans before getting a shot with Miami.

SEPT. 14 FORMER PATS' WR RANDY MOSS PICKING JETS IN SUPER BOWL - Is Randy "Mossed"? Speaking to NFL Network's Rich Eisen this week, the Hall of Famer and former Patriots' receiver made a bold - bizarre - prediction for Super Bowl LVIII.

He might be the only person in America unaffected by Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury suffered last Monday night.

"I had the Eagles and the Jets," Moss told Eisen. "And I'm going to stick to my guns. I'm not gonna jump ship."

In the wake of Rodgers' injury, the Jets' Super Bowl odds plummeted from 16-1 to 50-1.

"Zach (Wilson) has been in the NFL long enough ... he's had an offseason under Aaron," Moss said. "It won't look like it would've with Aaron Rodgers, but he can still go in and lead the team and put them in a position to win like he did the other night."

While the Jets - sans Rodgers - travel to Dallas this weekend to play the Cowboys, Moss' former Patriots squad hosts the Dolphins in a must-win game Sunday night at Gillette Stadium.

SEPT 13. PATRIOTS SIGN QB IAN BOOK TO PRACTICE SQUAD - The New England Patriots officially added to their quarterback room on Wednesday by signing Ian Book to their practice squad, per NFL Network.

As reported Tuesday, the Patriots were slated to host Book for a workout on Wednesday morning. Apparently, Book impressed the Patriots enough for them to sign him right away.

Book, a fourth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2021, was one of the most prolific passers in Notre Dame history. He holds the school record for most wins by a quarterback with 30 and is second in touchdown passes with 72. The California native also guided the Fighting Irish to a pair of College Football Playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020.

Book has only appeared in one NFL game so far, and he was put into a nearly impossible situation. The Saints were down nearly 20 players due to COVID-19 in 2020, including quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemien, which forced Book into the starting role. With little preparation time and a depleted team around him, Book completed 12 of 20 passes for 135 yards and two interceptions.

The Saints waived Book in 2022, and he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad the next day. He remained in Philadelphia for the entire year, but never appeared in a regular-season game before being waived on Aug. 29.

Book now joins a quarterback room that includes starter Mac Jones, backup Bailey Zappe and fellow practice squad player Malik Cunningham. The Pats signed Matt Corral last week, but he is now on the exempt/left team list.

SEPT 12. PATRIOTS REPORTEDLY TO WORK OUT QB IAN BOOK ON WEDNESDAY - The New England Patriots may not be done adding to their quarterback depth chart. 

Despite Bailey Zappe having returned to the 53-man roster, the Patriots are expected to host former New Orleans Saints quarterback Ian Book for a free agent workout on Wednesday morning, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.    

Book was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round (No. 133 overall) out of Notre Dame in the 2021 NFL Draft. During his rookie season, Book made one start for the Saints after starter Taysom Hill and top backup Trevor Siemian were placed on the reserve/COVID list. Book completed 12 of 20 passes for 135 yards and two interceptions in a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins. After being waived by the Saints in August 2022, Book signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained until final roster cutdowns on Aug. 29. 

In addition to Zappe, the Patriots also have undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham on their practice squad. Second-year quarterback Matt Corral is currently on the exempt/left squad list. 

SEPT 12. PATRIOTS, BAILEY ZAPPE CONTRACT DETAILS EMERGE: MORE OF THE SAME? - The New England Patriots have had their recent share of intrigue when it comes to their situation at backup quarterback. 

From waiving both Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham, to claiming Matt Corral off waivers from the Carolina Panthers, things have been interesting behind starter Mac Jones so far in September. 

However, with personal issues understandably keeping Corral from the field until further notice, the Pats acted quickly in re-signing Zappe to the 53-man roster as Jones’ primary backup.  

While Zappe’s role on the field should have a familiar feel, it will seemingly be like he never left from a financial standpoint. 

Zappe’s contract, per a Tuesday morning report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss, covers the next three years with base salaries of $870,000 in 2023; $985,000 in 2024; and $1.1 million in 2025.

Essentially, the Patriots appear to be honoring the terms of his original rookie contract.

Still, there are some differences. Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan later added Zappe’s expected earnings are minimum salaries for a player with his number of credited seasons. His 2024 and 2025 signing bonus prorations equaled $161,768, before he was waived. Zappe’s new deal changes that amount to $323,536, while the 2025 total reverts to $0. 

In summary, the Pats moved his 2025 signing bonus proration into 2024.

SEPT 11. EX PATS' WR ANTONIO BROWN LOSES BIG BET - Former Patriots and NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, who was recently arrested in Florida for failing to keep up on his child support payments, apparently lost a lot of money on Sunday by betting on a game.

Brown, according to his own social media, placed a large wager on the Minnesota Vikings to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. How large? 

The former All-Pro reportedly lost $120,000 betting on the Vikings, who lost in Week 1 to the Buccaneers, 20-17, as four-point favorites.

AUG. 24 VIKINGS CUTS EX-PATRIOTS RECEIVER The Minnesota Vikings have cut former Patriots receiver N'Keal Harry, according to the team's website.

The former 2019 first-round pick for the Patriots signed with the Vikings prior to the start of the preseason, where he'd go on to record just two catches for 24 yards before being released on Thursday. 

The move by the Vikings to let Harry go was to make room for the signing of former Los Angeles Rams safety Jake Gervase.

Harry's struggles to stay on a 53-man roster continue after he was traded from the Patriots to the Chicago Bears last offseason. In 40 career games, Harry has posted just 64 catches for 714 yards and five touchdowns. He's also added seven carries for 49 yards as he will begin searching for a new team.

AUG. 21 FORMER PATS' LINEBACKER RETIRES In 2020, free agent Brandon Copeland signed a $1.1 million contract with the Patriots. For that investment, the team received four starts and 12 tackles out of their linebacker. And this week, Copeland announced he was retiring from the NFL at age 32.

Copeland's Patriots' stay ended in Week 7 of 2020 when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle and was place on injured reserve. He played with the Falcons and Ravens after leaving Foxboro and had a seven-year career in the league. His best seasons were with the Jets in 2018-19.

AUG. 21 EX PATS SPECIAL TEAMS STAR SIGNS WITH SEAHAWKS Last Summer DaMarcus Mitchell was one of the surprising stars of Patriots' training camp. Undrafted out of Purdue, he not only made the team as a special teams standout but also wound up playing 310 snaps in 16 games.

Last week, however, he was cut in part to make room for new running back Ezekiel Elliott. It didn't take long for Mitchell to find a new home as over the weekend he was signed by the Seattle Seahawks.

AUG 11 NFL NETWORK EXPERT PICKS PATS LAST Long gone are the days of the Patriots winning Super Bowls. And, according to one former coach and current NFL Network analyst, so is their time even being competitive in the AFC East.

"The Jets and Dolphins will be better, but it should be the Bills division to win," Steve Mariucci said this week on the Rich Eisen Show. "I can't imagine predicting the Patriots fourth, considering all the success they've had through the years, but that's what it looks like."

Despite a 14-game winning streak over the Jets, New England is the consensus pick to finish last in the AFC East this season.

JULY 25 HERNANDEZ ARREST Aaron Hernandez's older brother, D.J., has been arrested again - this time in a most frightening matter as police say he has been planning mass shootings at UConn and Brown University.

Per TMZ, cops say Hernandez - who has been arrested four times in recent months - showed signs of July of being "gravely disabled and a danger to society."

He allegedly posted a message on social media that stated, “Will I kill?  I’ve warned my enemies so pay up front.” That triggered police to make contact with him as he allegedly began threatening officers at the scene.

Hernandez - whose brother Aaron was briefly a Patriots star tight end before he was convicted of murder and then hung himself in prison - reportedly entered the classroom buildings of both UConn and Brown to potentially plan out his crimes. He's currently being held by police on a $250,000 bond as he awaits a court date.