The Patriots have made some moves with the game against the Miami Dolphins only hours away:
Recently signed DB Vincent Fuller has been released. The general sentiment is that his arm wasn't fully healed and he wouldn't have been able to contribute at his current stage of health. Not a knock on his ability, but just how he isn't football healthy. Because his release is due to injury, don't be surprised if he's brought back at some point down the road and this past week was just an opportunity for Fuller to get his toes wet and learn a bit of the playbook- similar to a lot of prospects who were with the Patriots in training camp who are brought back later in the season.
In response to the release to Fuller, the Patriots have brought back DB Sterling Moore to bolster the secondary. Moore was the most consistent player to hold down the safety position, prior to getting torched in garbage time in Indianapolis (Moore slid from safety to cornerback for a couple drives in the 4th quarter). Moore is an average safety, which means that he'll be a great improvement to the safety spot down the final stretch. The Patriots were forced to play Sergio Brown and Matthew Slater at safety after releasing Moore and both were undeniable disasters.
If Pat Chung returns from his injury, the grouping of Chung, Moore, and James Ihedigbo could provide the Patriots with an average safety corps- which is a marked improvement.
Another move is the addition of DE Alex Silvestro from the practice squad. Silvestro is added to provide depth after the loss of Andre Carter. Some might be surprised by Silvestro getting the nod over Markell Carter, but there are justifiable reasons:
1. Silvestro is a better special teams player. He provides better and more immediate depth as a depth player is expected to contribute on ST.
2. Silvestro had more playing time during preseason as Carter didn't see the field as often. Belichick will always lean towards real experience when making the promotion. Silvestro looked solid when he played.
3. Silvestro might end up being cut if the team needs to make another roster move. If Carter was promoted and has to be cut, he might be claimed by some other team. If the Patriots like him, it's not worth the risk for a temporary promotion.
Both Silvestro and Carter had been racking up the practice awards, but I feel like Belichick is more comfortable promoting Silvestro and knowing that he can bring him back later should he need to make a future roster move.