Javon Baker is headed West.

Baker is signing with the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Tuesday afternoon.

A fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Baker spent the summer competing for a spot on New England’s 53-man roster. He was released at the end of training camp and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. Baker reportedly had the option to join the Patriots practice squad but preferred a fresh start.

He did not appear in a game for Philadelphia and was released in mid-October.

He played in 11 games during his rookie season, but...

The New England Patriots have engineered one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent NFL history. After going 4-13 in each of the last two seasons under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo, the Patriots have done a complete 180 under new head coach Mike Vrabel, posting the best record in the NFL at 11-2.

New England made some good additions last offseason like bringing in Stefon Diggs, while young players like Drake Maye, TreVeyon Henderson and Will Campbell have stepped up. However, Vrabel deserves much of the credit for elevating a roster that looked like a fringe playoff team at...

TEAM TALK

• Roster Moves: G Mehki Butler has been signed to the practice squad; G Bill Murray has been released from the practice squad.
• From the NFL – Week 16 schedule update: Patriots-Ravens moved to 8:20 PM ET on NBC.
• Transcript: Mike Vrabel (Plus 10 min. video)
• Press Conferences: Marcus Jones – Austin Hooper.
• WEEI Patriots Monday: Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye.
• 1985: A Super Bowl Sound Odyssey. Episode 2: Training ground. (26 min.)

LOCAL LINKS

• Alex Barth reports the Patriots are getting an extra primetime game: Week 16 Patriots at Ravens has...

The New England Patriots are gearing up for what head coach Mike Vrabel has described as a “championship game” against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday.

The locker room is experiencing a shake-up ahead of Sunday afternoon’s battle, as offensive guard Mehki Butler was re-signed to the practice squad Monday morning.

The Patriots released Bill Murray, also an offensive guard, in a corresponding move.

Butler is an undrafted rookie out of Arkansas State who has spent time with the Patriots on and off since first being signed in May. He spent all of training camp with New England before being cut...

The Buffalo Bills could get a boost to their roster ahead of their Week 15 road game against the New England Patriots.

Buffalo is chasing the Patriots for the AFC East title, and the Bills could get star pass rusher Joey Bosa back in the lineup. Bosa was inactive in Buffalo’s 39-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14 due to a hamstring injury.

Yet, on Monday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke to reporters and said there is a chance Bosa does return to the field on Sunday.

“I believe there is,” McDermott said on Monday. “Again, just...

Even though Mike Vrabel spent eight seasons in New England as a player and appeared in 142 games for the Patriots, his arrival as head coach this offseason marked the beginning of a new era. There are multiple concrete signs of that ranging from scheme to postgame huddle (gone are the days of the “Aww yeah!”).

The latest item to add to that list is the notion of the “Hat and T-shirt Game.” Vrabel told reporters earlier this week, leading up to his team’s potentially division-clinching game against the Buffalo Bills.

“I don’t use the hat and T-shirt,” he said...

The New England Patriots returned to Gillette Stadium after a Week 13 bye week on Monday, and did so in second place in the AFC with their 11 wins tied for the most in football.

A rapid turnaround under head coach Mike Vrabel now has the Patriots playing for the AFC East championship this weekend and in position to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. With sophomore quarterback Drake Maye in the MVP conversation and the discussion around the team now eyeing wins in January and February, their still remains concerns on the field that could...

Veteran linebacker Christian Elliss is in his fifth NFL season and third with the New England Patriots. He’s already played for some great teams in his career, including the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles squad that went to the Super Bowl.

Elliss joined the Patriots in 2023, so he’s experienced the franchise’s recent ups and downs. He’s also played for three different head coaches in New England, suiting up for Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo and Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel has received a lot of credit for turning things around with the Patriots, helping them go from four wins last season to 11 and...

Drake Maye is a major part of Boston’s recent sports revival. He made the case for why an MLB star should join the fun.

The Red Sox are pursuing big-name free agents this offseason. Along with trying to bring back Alex Bregman, they’re frequently linked to superstar sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso.

Maye was asked to sell Boston to that power duo on Monday’s “WEEI Afternoons” radio interview. The 23-year-old quarterback cited Red Sox icon David Ortiz and current stars such as the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Bruins’ David Pastrnak when explaining what makes it such a special sports...

New England Patriots fans must adjust their calendars for next weekend.

The NFL revealed a scheduling change for New England’s Week 16 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. As the Patriots shared Monday, they will now play on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

The Patriots and Ravens both bumped division rivals from the primetime game. Instead of playing Sunday night, the Miami Dolphins will face the Cincinnati Bengals at 1 p.m. ET.

The move reflects how far New England has come in Mike Vrabel’s first season as head coach. Following consecutive four-win campaigns, the Patriots are 11-2 with a 10-game winning streak...

The Patriots are well-positioned to make the postseason after their impressive start. With New England gearing up for a potential playoff run, it’s essential to examine which playoff teams might pose a challenge for the Patriots.

Of course, every team in the playoffs is good, but some provide the worst matchups for New England. WEEI’s radio host Nick “Fitzy” Stevens doesn’t want to see the Houston Texans in the playoffs.

“I don’t want to see the Texans coming in not with (Danielle) Hunter, (Will) Anderson, (Jalen) Pitre, (Azeez) Al-Shaair, (Derek) Stingley, that defense they hit fast, the coverage is great,...

When quarterbacks Drake Maye and Lamar Jackson cross paths, it will be under the lights.

The Week 16 matchup between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens has been flexed to 8:20 p.m. ET, the NFL announced Monday.

The Dec. 21 kickoff at M&T Bank Stadium was previously slated for 1 p.m. ET when the 2025 schedule hit calendars in the spring. Now, that afternoon window belongs to the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins on CBS.

Back on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” it will mark the fourth primetime matchup of the season for the current No. 2 seed in the...