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The New England Patriots brought their roster count back to 80 with the reported signing of free-agent center Tyler Gauthier. The 23-year-old was drafted by the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks before the league went under, and he played college football at Miami, where he was a teammate of another recent Patriots acquisition, Michael Jackson.
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Tyler Gauthier’s Measurables
At 6’4″ 315 pounds, Gauthier has great size for the center position. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 27 times at his Pro Day coming out of college. That won’t put him anywhere near the NFL Combine record for reps, but it’s plenty for him to do his job effectively in professional football.
Gauthier is also a pretty good athlete for an offensive lineman. He ran the 40-yard dash at 5.2, which is pretty swift for a 300-pounder. It should also be said, Gauthier loves to fish, and he clearly takes it very seriously.
Where Was Tyler Gauthier in 2019?
The Patriots signed Gauthier as an undrafted free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. He didn’t make the team then but landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was released earlier this year without ever appearing in a game. Now Gauthier finds him way back to the first NFL team to give him a shot at playing professional football.
The situation is a little bit different this time around, and in fact, the odds might be even longer that he sticks.
Where Does Gauthier Fit on the 2020 Roster?
The Patriots have David Andrews returning to the team this year. He missed the entire 2019 season with blood clots but has seemingly received a clear bill of health ahead of the 2020 campaign. Still, you’d have to believe there are some concerns especially considering the season will be played during a global pandemic.
Because of the concern for the health of Andrews, and due to the loss of Ted Karras in free agency to the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots drafted Dustin Woodward out of the Memphis in the seventh round. God forbid Andrews was to miss more time, but the Patriots probably wouldn’t be comfortable having a rookie playing such a significant role.
Obviously, Gauthier doesn’t have a wealth of experience wither, but the depth is obviously still a plus.
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