Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots made some changes to their roster ahead of their Week 17 game against the New York Jets.
Wide receiver Mack Hollins was sent to injured reserve because of the abdomen injury that has kept him out of practice the entire week. In a corresponding move, defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. was promoted from the practice squad to fill his spot on the 53-man team.
Let’s assess what the transactions mean for the Patriots from a big-picture perspective.
Blow to the offense: Since arriving in New England via a two-year, $8.4 million free agency deal in March, Hollins has been a reliable contributor. He is currently leading all of the team’s wide receivers in snaps (657; 67.8%) while also ranking third on the Patriots in targets (65), receptions (46) and receiving yards (550) and sixth in touchdowns (2) — numbers that illustrate how he earned the trust of both quarterback Drake Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
In addition to his stats, Hollins’ abilities as a blocker allowed him to be used as a true three-down receiver, while he also served as a tone-setter and mentor for the younger pass catchers in the room. Long story short, his presence will be missed.
Wide receiver reset: With Hollins off to injured reserve, the Patriots are left with eight available wide receivers. Of those, five are on the active roster with three more rounding out the depth chart on the practice squad.
In full, the group now looks as follows:
53-man roster (5): Kayshon Boutte (9), Stefon Diggs (8), Kyle Williams (18), DeMario Douglas (3), Efton Chism III (86)
Practice squad (3): John Jiles (83), Jeremiah Webb (29), Brandon Smith (80)
IR (1): Mack Hollins
For the time being, it seems that the Patriots will rely on the wideouts on the 53-man roster to carry the torch during Hollins’ absence. The team elected not to elevate one of the three practice squadders for the upcoming game against the Jets, even though all of them have the maximum three elevations still available.
Trickle-down effect: The player most directly impacted by Hollins’ move to IR is rookie Kyle Williams, who projects to take over his position as a starter-level perimeter wide receiver. That being said, the third-round draft pick is still a developing player, which means that he might not be a 1-for-1 replacement.
Instead, the Patriots could use a collective effort that also includes the veteran trio of Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas and Austin Hooper: Diggs could see more snaps on the outside, with Douglas and Hooper both getting an uptick in opportunities as inside receivers depending on packages and situations. New England using more 12-personnel looks with Hooper and Hunter Henry at tight end could happen.
Also impacted by the Hollins news is Efton Chism. A semi-regular healthy scratch this season, he now is the No. 5 wideout on the roster and could take over the kickoff...
