The New England Patriots entered Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns with an open spot on its practice squad. This vacancy was created when the team opted to promote defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton to add depth to the position on the 53-man roster.
The corresponding roster move did not involve a practice squad signing, which led to the open spot. According to the NFL’s transaction wire – and first reported by Mike Reiss – the Patriots have now filled it with a familiar face:
OL Ian Silberman, formerly of Boston College, has re-signed to the Patriots' practice squad.
Silberman, who turned 24 yesterday, originally entered the NFL as a sixth round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015. The Boston College product appeared in one game his rookie season but was waived during this year’s roster cutdowns. The Patriots signed the 6’5, 295 lbs guard to their practice squad mid-September but released him just two weeks later.
Now, Silberman is back in Foxboro and joins fellow offensive linemen Chris Barker and Chase Farris on the practice squad. The team currently carries three guards on its active roster following the release of Jonathan Cooper, so creating depth on the practice squad certainly makes a lot of sense.