Patriots shuffle practice squad “to redistribute depth”, release wide receiver and add a lineman

The New England Patriots are moving some pieces around on the practice squad to fill in some other gaps on the roster according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Reiss reports the Patriots released wide receiver Jake Kumerow from the practice squad.

Kumerow was one of three wide receivers on the practice squad, along with Cody Hollister and Riley McCarron. The Patriots are thin at wide receiver with Chris Hogan nursing a shoulder injury and Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola, and Phillip Dorsett providing the other depth, so the release of Kumerow is interesting in its timing.

NESN’s Doug Kyed reports that the Patriots added offensive lineman Anthony Fabiano to fill the roster spot.

Fabiano is from Wakefield, Massachusetts and attended Harvard. He was undrafted in 2016, but spent time with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Washington, and New York Giants. The 6’3, 303-pound lineman played both tackle and guard in college and was considered the most athletic lineman in the draft and has played center in the NFL.

It’s likely his versatility and athleticism drew the Patriots attention as he should be an ideal practice player to work with. The Patriots already have center James Ferentz on the practice squad, but the team needed some depth after placing fellow Harvard graduate Cole Toner on the practice squad/injured reserve.