Getty Garrett Gilbert
The New England Patriots released Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer on Tuesday, leaving rookie Mac Jones as the only active quarterback on the roster.
On Wednesday, the Patriots gave Jones some company. As expected, they brought Hoyer back, but the team also signed former Dallas Cowboys QB Garrett Gilbert, per ESPN’s Field Yates:
The Patriots will be signing former Cowboys QB Garrett Gilbert to their practice squad.
Current QB group: Mac Jones as the starter along with Brian Hoyer (PS), Gilbert (PS) and Jarrett Stidham (PUP).
Gilbert was actually a part of the Patriots’ roster during the preseason in 2015 before being waived before the start of the season. How long will the once highly touted QB stick with the Patriots this time?
Gilbert is Considered One of the Greatest Prep QBs in Texas HS History
If you’re a follower of Texas high school football, chances are you’ve heard of Gilbert. Coming out of high school, many imagined Gilbert would blossom into a special collegiate and pro player.
Gilbert landed with Texas in college and struggled mightily as a freshman and sophomore. After playing just 2 games as a junior, Gilbert transferred to SMU to finish his collegiate career.
He had a solid run with the Mustangs, especially as a senior when he threw for 3,528 yards, 21 TDs and 7 INT, but it still wasn’t exactly what most expected of him.
Gilbert went undrafted before signing with the St. Louis Rams in June 2014. He didn’t stick there or with any NFL team. Gilbert shined brightly in the ill-fated Alliance of American Football which help to land him with the Carolina Panthers as a backup to Newton in 2018. In 8 games in the AAF, Gilbert threw for 2,152 yards, 13 TDs and 6 INT before the league folded midseason.
He played for the Cleveland Browns in 2019 before getting a look as an emergency starter for the Cowboys last season.
It’s been a wild ride, and he doesn’t figure to get much of a shot in New England, if we’re being honest. The Patriots are locked and loaded for Jones, and even if he were injured, Gilbert would still be behind Hoyer and probably Jarrett Stidham once he returns from injury.
Well, at least he’s on an NFL team in some capacity.
The Patriots Filled Out Their Practice Squad
The members of the Patriots’ practice squad in 2021 have a lot of familiar faces. Veteran Matt LaCosse is one of the players returning after originally being released. Promising WR Kristian Wilkerson and 2020 starter kicker Nick Folk are others Patriots fans will recognize.
One interesting name on the list is Jahlani Tavai. He was a player for Patriots’ special assistant Matt Patricia with the Detroit Lions. The Patriots reportedly loved Tavai, per MLive’s Kyle Meinke who outlined Tavai’s seemingly inevitable landing in New England.
Meinke wrote:
Matt Patricia was hired to import the New England Patriots defense to Detroit, and prized Jahlani Tavai so much for it that Detroit selected the linebacker in the second round of the 2019 draft, several rounds ahead of where he was expected to go. And just one day after the new regime finally pulled the plug on the failed Tavai experiment, well, you can probably see where this is going.
Perhaps Tavai will make a bigger impact than Gilbert.
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