Saturday around 10 p.m. local time in Germany, the New England Patriots announced that they had made some changes to their roster. Running back TreVeyon Henderson headed to injured reserve due to the illness that has kept him out since late October, while fullback Reggie Gilliam and offensive lineman Greg Van Roten were both activated from IR.
While the Patriots entered the weekend with 52 players on their roster, Saturday’s trades meant they now had a full complement of players available again. But what else do these movements mean? Let’s find out.
RB TreVeyon Henderson: Placed on IR
TreVeyon Henderson took to social media last Friday, which was already a worrying sign. In a statement about the illness that had kept him out for more than a week at that point, he mentioned that “my strength, coordination and some of my physical functions” had been affected by the “unexpected and unusual medical emergency” he had faced.
Although there was still hope at that time that he could return in a relatively short period of time, Saturday’s decision means that will not be the case.
Henderson will be out for at least the next four games, starting with the upcoming game against the Detroit Lions. Other games he is now expected to miss include matchups with the Chargers, Bills and Vikings. He is eligible to return to practice and off injured reserve ahead of the Patriots’ Week 15 game at Kansas City, although an obvious question mark hangs over that return given the most recent information we have — information that head coach Mike Vrabel also did not add this week.
“I talk to TreVeyon every day and like everyone who is not available, he is working hard to come back,” he said at FC Bayern Munich’s training center on Thursday. “When that will happen, I don’t know. I don’t have a schedule, but I like my interactions with him. I like talking with him and seeing how he’s doing.”
From a football perspective, Henderson’s departure to IR officially removes the No. 2 running back from the Patriots’ active roster. This leaves the group looking like this:
Squad of 53 players (3): Rhamondre Stevenson (38), Corey Kiner (9 | KR), Lan Larison (34)
Training team (1): Terrell Jennings (26)
IR (2): Myles Montgomery (39 years old | end of season), TreVeyon Henderson (32 years old)
Rhamondre Stevenson is clearly the better option, something that wouldn’t change with Henderson available. He is the Patriots’ most reliable back in all aspects of the game at the position, and by far their best pass protector at the position. Still, Henderson as a second rotation option would bring a more dynamic element to the table than Corey Kiner and Lan Larison. That element is now missing, although Kiner in particular has had some promising moments of late and, given Stevenson’s unclear outlook — he’s questionable due to a knee injury — could see an increase in reps against Detroit.
In addition to the roster prospect, Henderson’s departure to IR also adds to the numbers crunch regarding returning spots. As a reminder, the Patriots had eight available at the start of the year, but were already using five, such as wide receivers AJ Brown and Mack Hollins, offensive tackle Marcus Bryant and the aforementioned Reggie Gilliam and Greg Van Roten.
Two of the remaining three should go to two starters, receiver Romeo Doubs and left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. This, in turn, would potentially leave such a spot open for Henderson. Of course, if they made the playoffs, the Patriots would benefit from two additional IR return opportunities.
FB Reggie Gilliam: activated to a 53-player roster
Gilliam went on injured reserve following the Patriots’ Week 4 win over the Bills. He was dealing with a knee injury before this competition and was also dealing with an ankle ailment during this particular match.
New England did not have a traditional fullback on the 53-man roster or practice squad at that point, and has never added one since the initial loss of Gilliam, either. This also meant that the fullback packages used earlier in the season were not further developed, which could have also played a role in the Patriots’ difficulty consistently moving the football down the field.
Gilliam’s return won’t instantly solve those problems, but he should be an immediate upgrade over the player the team primarily used to replace him, since-released rookie tight end Tanner Arkin. At the very least, the Patriots can get back to integrating these packages on a more regular and focused basis.
In addition to the offensive element, the return of Gilliam could also have a positive impact on the operation of the Patriots’ special teams. His leadership was repeatedly praised by coordinator Jeremy Springer, while he could also return to the three-unit role he played before his time on IR: He was used in kickoff coverage, kickoff return and punt coverage, playing 41% of kick game snaps through the first four weeks of the season.
The kickoff coverage piece in particular will be worth monitoring after the Patriots experienced several breakdowns in recent weeks. Adding a special teamer as experienced as Gilliam to the mix could help resolve these issues.
OL Greg Van Roten: Activated at 53 players
We know the Patriots offensive line will be different than the one that started last Sunday’s game against the Packers. The only question is how different it is.
Obviously, three spots are set in stone, as they have been all season: Will Campbell and Morgan Moses will be the starting tackles, with Jared Wilson at center. Guard posts, meanwhile, remain a revolving door.
Before we look at the options for Sunday and beyond, let’s set the scene by looking at which interior linemen are and are not available right now:
Squad of 53 players (5): Ben Brown (77 | LG), Jared Wilson (55 | C), Matt Pryor (65 | RG), Greg Van Roten (70), Walter Rouse (72)
Training team (2): Xavier Newman-Johnson (64 years old), Andrew Rupcich (67 years old)
IR (2): Mike Onwenu (71), Alijah Vera-Tucker (75)
Ben Brown, who started last week at left guard, will be unavailable Sunday against the Lions due to the knee injury he suffered in Week 9. That creates an opening that Van Roten could be asked to fill, despite the fact that he has played only one non-preseason snap at that position in the last seven years; The last time he played extensively at left guard, Tom Brady was still New England’s quarterback.
The problem is that the alternatives aren’t very appealing either, especially when looking at the Lions game. Matt Pryor also has limited LG experience, while his move would usher in changes at two spots within a unit whose success depends largely on the chemistry between its individual members. Walter Rouse, meanwhile, is questionable to play in the game after showing concussion symptoms during last week’s game against the Packers.
And so, Van Roten might still be the best option after all. Long term, though, the goal is to bring Alijah Vera-Tucker back into the mix; Who will then start at right guard between Pryor, Van Roten or Brown is a question for another time.
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