Slater wrote in the letter that it “has been an honor to represent the silver, red, white, and blue for 16 years.” He proceeded to thank the Pats’ fans, coaching staff, ownership, his teammates, and the New England community for the contributions they made to his career.

“I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game,” Slater added. “Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime.”

Slater, the son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, entered the league as the Pats’ fifth-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. He served as a kick and punt returner in his rookie year, before transitioning to special teams coverage duties. In 2011, he was named special teams captain, a role he held until the end of his career.

During his time in the NFL, Slater received 10 Pro Bowl nods and was selected to First-Team All-Pro five times while helping the Pats to three Super Bowl wins. He walks away, having appeared in 239 games, second-most in franchise history behind Tom Brady’s 285 games while contributing with 191 tackles, the most all-time by a Patriot special teamer.

The post Patriots’ Pro Bowl Special Teamer Matthew Slater Announces Retirement appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jones’ release comes after he experienced a dip in performance and a reduced role in recent weeks. The Arizona State product only played 10 snaps in a 6-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and 30 snaps in a Week 9 clash against the Washington Commanders. 

“Certainly we want to thank the Patriot Organization for drafting Jack,” Tooson said in a statement shared with the media. “Jack is an immense talent and looks forward to making an immediate contribution on his next team as soon as Sunday.”

Another contributing factor to Jones’ release might be his somewhat problematic behavior. Reportedly, he missed curfew ahead of the Commanders game while previously dealing with off-the-field issues in the offseason.

The Patriots drafted Jack Jones in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Jones ended up playing in 13 games and recorded two interceptions to go with 30 tackles and six passes defended. He was expected to make a bigger leap in his second year as a pro, but that didn’t happen.

Jones initially missed the first six weeks with a hamstring injury and struggled upon his return. He recorded one pass defended and 12 tackles in five games. 

The post New England Patriots Waive CB Jack Jones appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Reportedly, Elliott will receive $3 million in base salary for 2023 alongside a $1 million signing bonus. He can earn up to $6 million through incentives.

Elliott was released by the Cowboys earlier this year after spending seven years with the franchise. The move was financially motivated as Dallas received $10.9 million in salary cap relief. There were rumors that the 28-year-old player might end up re-joining the team on a less expensive contract, but Elliott ended up choosing to get a fresh start with the Pats.

The Patriots still haven’t made the move official, although Elliott already confirmed the news on his social media.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns during his time with the Cowboys. He made three Pro Bowls since being taken fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft and has two All-Pro nods.

The Patriots were on the market for a running back in recent weeks, wanting to get an experienced veteran behind their projected starter Rhamondre Stevenson. Elliott fits the bill and is expected to be the team’s No. 2 option at the position moving forward. He will likely benefit from New England’s habit of sharing the workload between their top running backs.

The post Veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott Signs With the Patriots on a 1-Year Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Multiple sources close to the New England organization previously reported that the franchise is looking to release Mills in a move that would get them a $5 million salary cap relief. But the 28-year-old ended up agreeing to a revised deal that is now basically a one-year contract worth up to $6.1 million. He previously had two years left on the four-year, $24 million deal he signed as a free agent with the Pats in 2021.

Mills has been a regular starter for the Patriots on the corner position when healthy in the previous two years. He started 26 games, contributing with 78 tackles, two interceptions, and 15 passes defended in 2021 and 2022 combined.

By keeping Mills, the Patriots will have continuity on the defense that has been one of the league’s best last season. They are probably also motivated by the fact that Mills recently expressed willingness to play the safety position. The head coach Bill Belichick values versatile players, while the team’s safety position also lost some depth after Pro Bowler Devin McCourty retired. 

The post New England Reworks CB Jalen Mills’ Contract Instead of Releasing Him appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The move will help the Patriots get some salary cap relief while Smith provides cover for the Falcons on the tight end position. It will allow Atlanta to be more cautious with their star TE Kyle Pitts, who is returning from knee surgery.

 In Atlanta, Smith will be reunited with head coach Arthur Smith. The two previously worked together with the Tennessee Titans, where Jonnu Smith started his career, and Arthur Smith served first as a tight ends coach and later as an offensive coordinator.

The New England Patriots signed Jonnu Smith as part of their big free-agent spending spree ahead of the 2021 season. Smith was coming off a career year with the Titans, which saw him get 41 receptions for 448 yards and eight touchdowns, and he ended up getting a four-year, $50 million deal from the Pats.

However, Smith never settled in New England and delivered two underwhelming seasons. He played 30 games in which he had 55 catches for 539 yards and only one TD.

The post Patriots Trade TE Jonnu Smith to Falcons for a 7th-Rounder appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

McCourty retires as one of the most successful players in Patriots’ history, having been there for the team’s three Super Bowl runs and receiving three All-Pro nods alongside a couple of Pro Bowl selections. He started 205 games for the franchise and retires with 971 career tackles, 35 interceptions, 110 passes defended, and two defensive touchdowns.

McCourty said that he considered his options this offseason,  none of which was to play for another team besides the Patriots, but ultimately decided it was time to call it quits. 

“Unbelievable ride man, and I think it’s always tough to kind of come to the end as you know,” said McCourty about his decision. “This whole offseason has been so much back-and-forth for me mentally — probably not even sharing as much of the thoughts that I was just going between from one day to the next day. But ultimately, I think this is the best decision for me, my family, for my career, is to be able to now look back at my 13 years and just enjoy it.”

McCourty is expected to make a transition to broadcasting, having already served as a guest analyst on various sports shows, including NFL Network’s Good Morning Football show. He will follow his twin brother Jason McCourty, who retired last season in order to focus on a television career.

The post Pats’ All-Pro Safety Devin McCourty Ending His Illustrious Career appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Belichick admitted that 2022 was not a good season for the Patriots, adding that he will be ready to help the team improve on the past season’s results. “Nobody’s satisfied with that. That’s not our goal. We need to improve on that,” Belichick stated. “So that’s all of us—accountability everywhere, starting with me, the coaching staff, players, each unit. They are all things that we will address, and that process will start probably later today.”

Set to turn 71 years old in April, Belichick revealed that he is set to have a standard-operating-procedure meeting with franchise owner Robert Kraft. He added that Kraft expressed his dissatisfaction at the team’s inability to win a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII, when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams on February 3, 2019.

During a video conference on Monday, Belichick was asked several questions about his roster, including if he expects Mac Jones to remain as the team’s starting quarterback. Belichick reiterated his belief that Jones has the ability to perform in the league and that the team has to find a way forward together.

The post Bill Belichick Plans to Return as Patriots Coach Next Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Initially sidelined during the Patriots’ 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16, the second-year defensive tackle has been missing from the team over the past three games as well as the team’s bye last week.

Although he was hopeful of returning during New England’s upcoming game against the New York Jets on Sunday after participating in limited training on Wednesday and Thursday, Barmore was ruled out of Friday’s training as he suffered an injury setback.

The second-year defensive tackle’s absence is a significant loss for the Patriots, given his 15 tackles, 1 sack and 3 quarterback hits in six games this season. This sees him continue his impressive form from last season which saw him included in the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team in 2021.

Barmore will be ineligible to play until December 18 at the earliest, leaving fourth-year tackle Daniel Ekuale to fill the void when veteran Carl Davis Jr. isn’t able to add extra depth.

The post Patriots’ Christian Barmore on Injured Reserve appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Zappe, a fourth-round pick in 2022, showed composure in his first career start despite throwing an interception midway through the second quarter. The Western Kentucky University product finished the contest by completing 81.0 percent of his passes while throwing for 188 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s kind of like I’ve always been told, take advantage of your opportunity,” Zappe said after the game.

The Pats also did most of the damage on offense with the running game. The second year back Rhamondre Stevenson had arguably his best game as a pro, rushing for 161 yards on 25 carries.

Of course, New England’s defense did its fair share of the heavy lifting in this game, stopping the Lions’ attack, which was the league’s most prolific throughout the first four weeks. The Pats’ had 70 tackles as a team and sacked Detroit’s quarterback Jared Goff two times while also forcing two turnovers. Safety Kyle Dugger took advantage of one of those turnovers, a fumble, and returned it 59 yards for a TD.

The Pats will play the next game against the Cleveland Browns, looking for an opportunity to get back to .500. On the other hand, the 1-4 Lions sit at the bottom of the NFC North and will face the red-hot Dallas Cowboys next week.

The post Third-String QB Bailey Zappe Leads Patriots to Shutout Win Over the Lions appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Despite reports that Jones will be out for several weeks due to injury, Belichick said that the second-year signal caller made a “lot of progress in the last 48 hours.” He then went on to insist that the team views Jones’ injury as a “day by day” situation.

Pressed by the reporters to reveal more details about Jones, Belichick put on a show by repeating the “day by day” phrase at least 12 times, according to ESPN.

“Day. By. Day. What do I look like — a doctor? An orthopedic surgeon? I don’t know. Talk to the medical experts,” responded Belichick at one point when asked whether Jones has a high ankle sprain as previously reported.

If the Pats’ “day by day” approach doesn’t result in Jones being ready for the Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers, the team is expected to move on with veteran Brian Hoyer as their starter. The 36-year-old made his last start in 2020 when he threw for 130 yards and an interception in a 10–26 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The post Bill Belichick Says Pats QB Mac Jones is “Day by Day” Despite Reports of Severe Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Slater wrote in the letter that it “has been an honor to represent the silver, red, white, and blue for 16 years.” He proceeded to thank the Pats’ fans, coaching staff, ownership, his teammates, and the New England community for the contributions they made to his career.

“I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game,” Slater added. “Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime.”

Slater, the son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, entered the league as the Pats’ fifth-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. He served as a kick and punt returner in his rookie year, before transitioning to special teams coverage duties. In 2011, he was named special teams captain, a role he held until the end of his career.

During his time in the NFL, Slater received 10 Pro Bowl nods and was selected to First-Team All-Pro five times while helping the Pats to three Super Bowl wins. He walks away, having appeared in 239 games, second-most in franchise history behind Tom Brady’s 285 games while contributing with 191 tackles, the most all-time by a Patriot special teamer.

The post Patriots’ Pro Bowl Special Teamer Matthew Slater Announces Retirement appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jones’ release comes after he experienced a dip in performance and a reduced role in recent weeks. The Arizona State product only played 10 snaps in a 6-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and 30 snaps in a Week 9 clash against the Washington Commanders. 

“Certainly we want to thank the Patriot Organization for drafting Jack,” Tooson said in a statement shared with the media. “Jack is an immense talent and looks forward to making an immediate contribution on his next team as soon as Sunday.”

Another contributing factor to Jones’ release might be his somewhat problematic behavior. Reportedly, he missed curfew ahead of the Commanders game while previously dealing with off-the-field issues in the offseason.

The Patriots drafted Jack Jones in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Jones ended up playing in 13 games and recorded two interceptions to go with 30 tackles and six passes defended. He was expected to make a bigger leap in his second year as a pro, but that didn’t happen.

Jones initially missed the first six weeks with a hamstring injury and struggled upon his return. He recorded one pass defended and 12 tackles in five games. 

The post New England Patriots Waive CB Jack Jones appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Reportedly, Elliott will receive $3 million in base salary for 2023 alongside a $1 million signing bonus. He can earn up to $6 million through incentives.

Elliott was released by the Cowboys earlier this year after spending seven years with the franchise. The move was financially motivated as Dallas received $10.9 million in salary cap relief. There were rumors that the 28-year-old player might end up re-joining the team on a less expensive contract, but Elliott ended up choosing to get a fresh start with the Pats.

The Patriots still haven’t made the move official, although Elliott already confirmed the news on his social media.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns during his time with the Cowboys. He made three Pro Bowls since being taken fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft and has two All-Pro nods.

The Patriots were on the market for a running back in recent weeks, wanting to get an experienced veteran behind their projected starter Rhamondre Stevenson. Elliott fits the bill and is expected to be the team’s No. 2 option at the position moving forward. He will likely benefit from New England’s habit of sharing the workload between their top running backs.

The post Veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott Signs With the Patriots on a 1-Year Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Multiple sources close to the New England organization previously reported that the franchise is looking to release Mills in a move that would get them a $5 million salary cap relief. But the 28-year-old ended up agreeing to a revised deal that is now basically a one-year contract worth up to $6.1 million. He previously had two years left on the four-year, $24 million deal he signed as a free agent with the Pats in 2021.

Mills has been a regular starter for the Patriots on the corner position when healthy in the previous two years. He started 26 games, contributing with 78 tackles, two interceptions, and 15 passes defended in 2021 and 2022 combined.

By keeping Mills, the Patriots will have continuity on the defense that has been one of the league’s best last season. They are probably also motivated by the fact that Mills recently expressed willingness to play the safety position. The head coach Bill Belichick values versatile players, while the team’s safety position also lost some depth after Pro Bowler Devin McCourty retired. 

The post New England Reworks CB Jalen Mills’ Contract Instead of Releasing Him appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The move will help the Patriots get some salary cap relief while Smith provides cover for the Falcons on the tight end position. It will allow Atlanta to be more cautious with their star TE Kyle Pitts, who is returning from knee surgery.

 In Atlanta, Smith will be reunited with head coach Arthur Smith. The two previously worked together with the Tennessee Titans, where Jonnu Smith started his career, and Arthur Smith served first as a tight ends coach and later as an offensive coordinator.

The New England Patriots signed Jonnu Smith as part of their big free-agent spending spree ahead of the 2021 season. Smith was coming off a career year with the Titans, which saw him get 41 receptions for 448 yards and eight touchdowns, and he ended up getting a four-year, $50 million deal from the Pats.

However, Smith never settled in New England and delivered two underwhelming seasons. He played 30 games in which he had 55 catches for 539 yards and only one TD.

The post Patriots Trade TE Jonnu Smith to Falcons for a 7th-Rounder appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

McCourty retires as one of the most successful players in Patriots’ history, having been there for the team’s three Super Bowl runs and receiving three All-Pro nods alongside a couple of Pro Bowl selections. He started 205 games for the franchise and retires with 971 career tackles, 35 interceptions, 110 passes defended, and two defensive touchdowns.

McCourty said that he considered his options this offseason,  none of which was to play for another team besides the Patriots, but ultimately decided it was time to call it quits. 

“Unbelievable ride man, and I think it’s always tough to kind of come to the end as you know,” said McCourty about his decision. “This whole offseason has been so much back-and-forth for me mentally — probably not even sharing as much of the thoughts that I was just going between from one day to the next day. But ultimately, I think this is the best decision for me, my family, for my career, is to be able to now look back at my 13 years and just enjoy it.”

McCourty is expected to make a transition to broadcasting, having already served as a guest analyst on various sports shows, including NFL Network’s Good Morning Football show. He will follow his twin brother Jason McCourty, who retired last season in order to focus on a television career.

The post Pats’ All-Pro Safety Devin McCourty Ending His Illustrious Career appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Belichick admitted that 2022 was not a good season for the Patriots, adding that he will be ready to help the team improve on the past season’s results. “Nobody’s satisfied with that. That’s not our goal. We need to improve on that,” Belichick stated. “So that’s all of us—accountability everywhere, starting with me, the coaching staff, players, each unit. They are all things that we will address, and that process will start probably later today.”

Set to turn 71 years old in April, Belichick revealed that he is set to have a standard-operating-procedure meeting with franchise owner Robert Kraft. He added that Kraft expressed his dissatisfaction at the team’s inability to win a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII, when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams on February 3, 2019.

During a video conference on Monday, Belichick was asked several questions about his roster, including if he expects Mac Jones to remain as the team’s starting quarterback. Belichick reiterated his belief that Jones has the ability to perform in the league and that the team has to find a way forward together.

The post Bill Belichick Plans to Return as Patriots Coach Next Season appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Initially sidelined during the Patriots’ 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns on October 16, the second-year defensive tackle has been missing from the team over the past three games as well as the team’s bye last week.

Although he was hopeful of returning during New England’s upcoming game against the New York Jets on Sunday after participating in limited training on Wednesday and Thursday, Barmore was ruled out of Friday’s training as he suffered an injury setback.

The second-year defensive tackle’s absence is a significant loss for the Patriots, given his 15 tackles, 1 sack and 3 quarterback hits in six games this season. This sees him continue his impressive form from last season which saw him included in the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team in 2021.

Barmore will be ineligible to play until December 18 at the earliest, leaving fourth-year tackle Daniel Ekuale to fill the void when veteran Carl Davis Jr. isn’t able to add extra depth.

The post Patriots’ Christian Barmore on Injured Reserve appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Zappe, a fourth-round pick in 2022, showed composure in his first career start despite throwing an interception midway through the second quarter. The Western Kentucky University product finished the contest by completing 81.0 percent of his passes while throwing for 188 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s kind of like I’ve always been told, take advantage of your opportunity,” Zappe said after the game.

The Pats also did most of the damage on offense with the running game. The second year back Rhamondre Stevenson had arguably his best game as a pro, rushing for 161 yards on 25 carries.

Of course, New England’s defense did its fair share of the heavy lifting in this game, stopping the Lions’ attack, which was the league’s most prolific throughout the first four weeks. The Pats’ had 70 tackles as a team and sacked Detroit’s quarterback Jared Goff two times while also forcing two turnovers. Safety Kyle Dugger took advantage of one of those turnovers, a fumble, and returned it 59 yards for a TD.

The Pats will play the next game against the Cleveland Browns, looking for an opportunity to get back to .500. On the other hand, the 1-4 Lions sit at the bottom of the NFC North and will face the red-hot Dallas Cowboys next week.

The post Third-String QB Bailey Zappe Leads Patriots to Shutout Win Over the Lions appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Despite reports that Jones will be out for several weeks due to injury, Belichick said that the second-year signal caller made a “lot of progress in the last 48 hours.” He then went on to insist that the team views Jones’ injury as a “day by day” situation.

Pressed by the reporters to reveal more details about Jones, Belichick put on a show by repeating the “day by day” phrase at least 12 times, according to ESPN.

“Day. By. Day. What do I look like — a doctor? An orthopedic surgeon? I don’t know. Talk to the medical experts,” responded Belichick at one point when asked whether Jones has a high ankle sprain as previously reported.

If the Pats’ “day by day” approach doesn’t result in Jones being ready for the Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers, the team is expected to move on with veteran Brian Hoyer as their starter. The 36-year-old made his last start in 2020 when he threw for 130 yards and an interception in a 10–26 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The post Bill Belichick Says Pats QB Mac Jones is “Day by Day” Despite Reports of Severe Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.