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The New England Patriots have been busy adding players to their roster during training camp. Whether they will stick throughout training camp, into the preseason, and beyond is still unknown.
The latest addition to the team is quarterback-turned-linebacker Nate Wieland. The Patriots signed Wieland, 23, after a recent workout. He’d already been to Patriots rookie mini-camp for a tryout, so this was the second time the team had seen Wieland in person.
Based on the signing, the Patriots were impressed with Wieland’s tryout–at least enough to have him participate in camp. Wieland tweeted shortly after the initial workout in May and before showing up wearing the No. 59 jersey.
Iowa-based training program Premier Athlete tweeted Wieland’s jersey number and congratulations.
They also tweeted a glimpse of his workout with some speed and strength numbers:
Nate Wieland Was a Highly Decorated High School Athlete
Wieland is a native of Iowa City who originally attended the University of Iowa as a quarterback. He was an all-state performer as a senior in high school after missing most of his junior year due to injury. In high school, he played QB, DB, and LB but led his team to an 8-3 record and the state quarterfinals as a senior signal caller.
Clearly a dangerous athlete with the ball. Wieland threw for 1,671 yards and 9 TDs while also rushing for 741 yards and 11 scores. He even punted the ball as a senior with a 41.1 yard average on 29 punts. In addition to his exploits on the gridiron, Wieland also lettered in basketball and track and field.
He redshirted his freshman year at Iowa before taking his talents to Iowa Western Community College. He’d ultimately transfer again to NAIA’s Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa where he earned first-team All-American honors in 2021 as a linebacker. The Patriots have a history of loving swiss-army knife players.
While it is unlikely we’ll ever see Wieland throw a pass in the NFL–barring some sort of trick play–his background makes him one of the more intriguing prospects the Patriots have added recently.
More Patriots Signing News
The Patriots signed former Detroit Lions DB Jalen Elliott. The former Notre Dame star didn’t get much playing time as a rookie in 2021, but the Patriots are allowing him to make an impact in New England.
The Patriots also signed another DB in Brad Hawkins. The former Michigan Wolverines star also has an opportunity to carve a niche with New England as a depth option in the secondary, on special teams, or as a practice team member.
New England inked former Florida Gators WR Josh Hammond last week, the Patriots brought in a slew of WRs for workouts.
- Andrew Jamiel, WR (Stonehill)
- Terry Godwin, WR (Georgia)
- Derrick Dillon, WR (LSU)
- Cinque Sweeting, WR (Slippery Rock)
- La’Michael Pettway, TE (Iowa State)
Perhaps most interesting from the five WRs to get a workout, Jamiel came in with a ringing endorsement from future Hall-of-Fame defensive back Richard Sherman.
The former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers star called Jamiel the Patriots’ “next great slot WR.” Unfortunately for Jamiel, the Patriots didn’t agree, as the young wide receiver left Foxborough without a deal in place.
With training camp in full swing for the Patriots and injuries and more roster jockeying still a possibility, the Wieland signing probably won’t be the team’s final roster move. We’ll have to wait to see if Wieland and other recent additions find a way to stick.
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