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The New England Patriots brought defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy in for a workout on September 9.
They must have liked what they saw, because they’re adding Roy to their practice squad, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, who reported the signing a day later on the 10th.
A 2023 fifth-round draft pick for the Minnesota Vikings out of LSU in 2023, Roy spent his rookie campaign with the Vikes. He appeared in 12 games last season (one start), playing 96 snaps on defense and 59 snaps on special teams. He finished his 2023 season with 8 total tackles (one for loss) and a quarterback hit.
Minnesota waived Roy in late August after the team whittled its roster down to 53 players. Now, he’ll get a new opportunity with the Pats and the defensive-minded Jerod Mayo.
Some Background on Ex-Vikings DT Jaquelin Roy
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman likely won’t make the team’s active roster this season, unless the injury bug were to feast on New England’s D-line. That said, Roy has some raw athletic ability, and he was a relatively consistent disruptor in college.
In 396 pass rush snaps in his final season at LSU in 2022, he amassed 2.0 sacks, 5 QB hits and 20 hurries, per PFF. Over his three years with the Tigers, Roy accumulated 5.0 sacks, 14 QB hits and 59 total pressures.
The Vikings gave Roy permission to seek a trade partner before he was released in August, per Garafolo, but no deal was struck. It’ll be interesting to see if he can carve out a role for himself in New England, where depth on the defensive line is still murky.
Patriots’ Defensive Line Currently a Work in Progress
The Patriots stunned the NFL world when they upset Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals Week 1, winning 16-10. The defensive line played well, registering 3.0 sacks, 4 QB hits and 3 tackles-for-loss. It was a solid team win, but Mayo doesn’t want his players to dwell on it.
“Our job is to go out here and win football games,” Mayo said on September 9. “Our job is to go out here and play for one another. Our job is to go out here and play at a high level each and every week. I don’t even want to get this win overblown. It’s one game. From a coaching perspective, our job is to teach these guys how to win. When you won a lot, having that sense of urgency to not fall into being comfortable [is huge].”
The Pats new head coach also shad good things to say about the team’s current depth on the interior of the defense.
“We just feel pretty good about our matchups. Not only on the edge, but also inside,” Mayo said. “I’m so proud of the guys up front. If you were just to go back and look at their stories. The [Davon] Godchaux’s of the world, the [Deatrich] Wise’s of the world, the [Jeremiah] Pharms‘ of the world, guys that literally were on the brink of being out of the league. To go out there and perform that way, it’s just a special thing.”
Godchaux was a fifth-round pick for the Miami Dolphins in 2017. He spent his first four seasons with Miami before getting released. The Pats picked him up after that, and he has been a capable role player for them since. He was on the field for 45% of New England’s defensive snaps against the Bengals and registered 2 hurries.
Could Roy’s career follow a similar trajectory? We’ll see.
The Patriots host the Seattle Seahawks Week 2.
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