Getty Isaiah Wynn.
As the trade deadline passed on Tuesday afternoon, the New England Patriots remained idle. The Patriots were widely expected to add a final upgrade at the deadline on either the offensive line or at tight end.
In the end, New England did neither. But it seems as if reinforcements are coming in the form of two players off injured reserve. Rookie receiver N’Keal Harry is set to be activated this week and second-year left tackle Isaiah Wynn has returned to practice for the first time since heading to IR after Week 2.
Isaiah Wynn has returned to practice. He is eligible to play in Week 12 vs. Dallas.
Patriots have now used both IR return spots. No one else can return from the IR this season.
Wynn is just the addition the Patriots’ offensive line could use to help improve its pass protection on the left side of the line. In his place, Marshall Newhouse has allowed eight sacks in six games at the position though his run blocking hasn’t been bad.
Per the terms of his reinstatement off injured reserve, Wynn will have to miss at least eight games, meaning he wouldn’t be eligible to return until Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys. Having Wynn back in the fold for the stretch run and for key games against Kansas City and Buffalo at home would allow the second-year man to get valuable reps ahead of the playoffs.
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But What About the Others…?
Isaiah Wynn practicing signals he is the second Patriots player to be activated off injured reserve this season. That means the rest of the players who were eligible to be pulled back off IR, such as James Develin, Jakob Johnson, or Stephen Gostkowski cannot be activated this season.
That’s a big blow to the Patriots backfield that has seriously struggled without a stable fullback presence. Develin, who has made Pro Bowls in the past for his blocking, paved the way for the Patriots offense late last season and helped Sony Michel become a serious force in the playoffs.
Even early this season, Develin showed he was on his way to replicating a strong performance for 2019. When he went down, Johnson developed quickly into an effective run blocker and Michel began to benefit from it. But he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against the New York Giants.
With Wynn back, it will certainly help the Patriots offensive front but it comes at a cost of losing Develin and Johnson for the season.
Can Wynn Really Help?
Even though his return will be an upgrade, how much will Wynn really help the Patriots offensive line? He hasn’t exactly gotten the experience the Patriots would have liked him to have at this point. From an Achilles tear that cost him his entire rookie season and now a bout with turf toe that will cost him a majority of this season, Wynn has taken on the reputation of being fragile.
If he can stay healthy, Wynn is definitely a first-round talent at the position and someone who can stabilize the entire offensive line. In a little over one game of action, Wynn did allow a sack and was flagged for a hold but otherwise looked fine in his first real game action.
So yes, Wynn will be a major boost to New England’s offensive line, but he will have to gain his experience on the fly.
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