The New England Patriots were extremely busy on Tuesday making a fair amount of roster moves. With New England seemingly not adding banged-up tight end Matt LaCosse to the injured reserve list following the signing of two more tight ends, the Patriots were forced to cut a player loose.
That player was backup quarterback Cody Kessler. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots informed Kessler of his release on Tuesday.
QB Cody Kessler is not present and the expectation is that he has been released to make room for TE Eric Tomlinson (present/No. 82). Also, TE Benjamin Watson is present at the media-access portion of practice.
Signed by the Patriots on September 25 following a disastrous debut for rookie backup Jarrett Stidham, Kessler received high praise from Bill Belichick and looked on his way to becoming a productive piece of the Patriots offense for the future.
Though he never dressed in a game, Kessler’s work and preparation were his keys to success on the practice field. But now, New England has decided to go in a different direction.
The move was likely necessitated by the acquisition of free-agent tight ends Benjamin Watson and Eric Tomlinson. While one took the place of fullback Jakob Johnson on the roster, the other required a corresponding move to officially be added to the roster.
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Impact on Patriots’ Offense
While Kessler was buried on the depth chart behind Stidham and Tom Brady, he still played a role for the Patriots.
By acquiring a third quarterback with prior starting experience, it forced Stidham to continue practicing and performing at a higher level to maintain his status as the second-string quarterback behind Brady. It also alleviated the duties of Stidham to learn the scout team offense and take reps behind Brady in the Patriots offensive system.
As for the defense, Kessler added another look to the scout offense that differed from Brady and Stidham. Though he was never active in his short time as a Patriot, Kessler did give the quarterback room another element of athleticism and experience.
It will be interesting to see if Kessler is picked up by any teams on the Patriots schedule as well as how Stidham reacts to his increased role again.
Not the Lone Casualty
It was a busy day for the Patriots who released a trio of players on Tuesday. Along with Kessler, the Patriots cut practice squad kicker Younghoe Koo and tight end Jason Vander Laan.
Those two practice squad players had been signed in recent weeks and were reportedly useful for the Patriots’ gameday preparations. Vander Laan was signed prior to the game against Buffalo in Week 4. A former college quarterback holding records for rushing yards, Vander Laan likely helped in preparation for Josh Allen’s mobile quarterbacking style.
Koo, meanwhile, was a late candidate to help replace Stephen Gostkowski. Showing tremendous accuracy during his stint with the short-tenured AAF, Koo did not miss a field goal for the Atlanta Legends.
The two were replaced on the practice squad by center Tyler Gauthier, who spent training camp with the Patriots, and receiver Devin Ross.
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Patriots Roster Moves: Backup Quarterback Released