The New England Patriots’ tight end depth is being tested yet again. After the team had to place Devin Asiasi on its injured reserve list earlier this week, the remaining two players at the position are both listed as “questionable” on the final injury report heading into Monday night’s game against the New York Jets: Ryan Izzo is dealing with a hamstring injury, Dalton Keene with a knee ailment.
While it remains to be seen whether or not they make the trip to New Jersey on Sunday and are eventually cleared to participate in the contest, the gist remains: the Patriots’ tight end depth is questionable at this point in time — so much so that the team might have to elevate versatile outside linebacker Rashod Berry from its practice squad to bolster the overall depth. Of course, that is not the only option.
The Patriots also recently had a group of tight ends in for free agency workouts. While Dylan Cantrell’s has already been reported — for more information about the 26-year-old, please click here — the club also looked at Charles Jones and David Wells.
TE Charles Jones
After spending his college career at Tulane, Charles Jones did not hear his name called during the NFL’s 2019 draft and therefore had to enter the league as a rookie free agent. The Jacksonville Jaguars picked him up, and he started his first regular season on the team’s practice squad. He later was promoted to the active roster and appeared in four games, playing a combined 37 snaps on offense and special teams — catching one 5-yard pass in the process.
Jones’ second season began tumultuous: he had two separate stints on the Reserve/Covid-19 list before being waived from the Jaguars and reverting to their injured reserve list. The team let him go for good in early September, and he ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad in late October. His stint in Buffalo did not even last a week before he found himself on the open market yet again.
TE David Wells
Just like Charles Jones, David Wells also did not hear his name called during the draft albeit one year earlier. The San Diego State subsequently signed a rookie free agency pact with the Dallas Cowboys, but he was let go again after a preseason during which he appeared in two games and caught a pair of passes for a combined 11 yards. Wells went on to join the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad, where he spent the remainder of his rookie campaign before signing a futures contract after the season.
Wells’ sophomore came to an end before it even began: he was waived with an injury designation during training camp and reverted to IR after going unclaimed. After the 2019 season, he did not return to Kansas City and remained on the open market ever since. Now, the 25-year-old is getting another chance to prove that he belongs on an NFL team — even if “only” via the practice squad again.