As part of the New England Patriots’ roster moves on cutdown weekend, the team also let one of its depth offensive linemen go: Brian Schwenke was released to help the Patriots get under the 53-man roster limit. The veteran, who did not have to go through the waiver wire, then hit the open market but remained unsigned – until today when he returned to New England, according to ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss:
Veteran C/G Brian Schwenke re-signed with the Patriots today, per a source. He wore No. 63 at practice. Schwenke was with the team in training camp. Adds another layer of interior backup depth along with Ted Karras.
Schwenke originally entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick in 2013. He spent the first four years of his career with the Tennessee Titans and carved out a role as a part-time starter along the interior offensive line. However, the Cal product left in 2016 to sign a free agency deal with the Indianapolis Colts. Schwenke’s tenure did not last long, and by September, he was back in Tennessee.
While the 27-year old appeared in 59 games with 30 starts over the course of his five-year career, he did not generate much interest on the free agent market this year. Therefore, the Patriots were able to add him in late July. Despite getting thrown in at the deep end by joining New England when training camp had already started, he performed well enough over the next few weeks for the team to apparently keep him on speed-dial after his release.
With Schwenke back in the fold, the Patriots now have three backup offensive linemen on their active roster: LaAdrian Waddle as a swing tackle and both Schwenke and the aforementioned Ted Karras along the interior.