Green Bay Packers sign New England Patriots running back – NFL Tracker
The Green Bay Packers announced the release of running back Patrick Taylor from the New England Patriots’ practice squad and the re-signing of running back James Robinson.
Packers bring in Patrick Taylor and James Robinson from Patriots practice squad
Packers add two running backs with Patriots connections
The Green Bay Packers have added Patrick Taylor to their practice squad and re-signed James Robinson to their practice squad in the wake of Aaron Jones’ and Emmanuel Wilson’s injuries, sources told NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.
Taylor, a former UDFA, spent his first three years (2020-23) with the Packers, playing in 27 games before being released in October and joining the Patriots’ practice squad.
Robinson, meanwhile, spent part of the off-season in Foxboro after signing in free agency, but was released before the end of June’s mandatory minicamp. He then spent the next three seasons (2014-16) on the New York Giants’ practice squad, where after signing late July, he was released a little more than a month later
He then joined the Packers’ practice squad in mid-October before being cut in early November. The two ex-Patriots will now be together in Green Bay as the Packers try to salvage their season.
NOVEMBER 16
Former Patriots running back Jacob Johnson released by RAIDERS, could he return to PATS?
The New England Patriots could use a once-in-a-lifetime, dependable ally on offense as the team returns from its bye week.
The Las Vegas Raiders have released fullback Jacob Johnson, who was with the Patriots from 2019-21. Johnson, who was born in Germany and played his college football in Tennessee, announced the news via Twitter on Friday morning.
Johnson joined the Patriots as part of the team’s International Player Pathway program in 2019. His perseverance and continued growth led to a spot on New England’s regular-season roster as a traditional fullback.
Johnson, 28, started every game for the Patriots in his first two seasons and was the only fullback on New England’s active roster in 2021. Over the course of his three years with the Patriots, Johnson established himself as a valuable part of the offense, providing excellent blocking and special teams play.
In the 2022 offseason, Johnson signed with the Raiders as a free agent, joining then-coach Josh McDaniels on the Nevada desert. Johnson signed a one-year contract extension to stay in Las Vegas this off-season. Johnson caught just one pass for a total of 12 yards in eight games for the Raiders before being released.
All in all, Johnson has appeared in 62 games over the course of his four-year career. He has caught 19 passes for a total of 105 yards and a single TD, which he scored with the New England Patriots in 2020. Although Houston’s offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien, does not typically use a fullback in his game plan, Johnson’s versatility and blocking ability in the run game could make him an important contributor to New England’s offense in the future. Therefore, the Patriots are likely to at least entertain the possibility of bringing Johnson back to Foxboro.
The NFL’s four international games on NFL Network saw a 13 percent increase in TV ratings compared to last season. The games – two in London, two in Frankfurt – drew an average of 5.8M viewers. The highest-rated game of the season was the Nov. 5 game between the Chiefs and Dolphins, which drew a record-breaking 9.2M viewers.
However, the Patriots’ snooze-fest of last Sunday’s matchup with the Colts didn’t do much to help. The Patriots’ 10-6 defeat was watched by just 4.6M viewers.
Of course, the highest-rated NFL games last week were the Cowboys and Giants on Fox, which drew 21.7 million viewers, and the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets, which drew 16.7 million viewers.
The New England Patriots have questions about their coaching situation for the first time in more than 20 years.
After falling to 2-7, New England’s coach Bill Belichick has been linked to a full-scale rebuild next season, a possible trade in the off-season, and even the possibility of being fired if the Patriots lose to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany.
Just before Sunday’s game kicked off, Patriots owner Robert Kraft went on NFL Network and said he was “very disappointed” with the team’s current record and hoped for a “reset” starting with Sunday’s game against the Colts.
According to a report by NFL.com, Kraft was not looking to fire coach Bill Belichick in the middle of the season, but wouldn’t rule out the idea of trading for him in the off-season.
The report also shed some light on Belichick’s contract, which was previously reported as “lucrative,” making a mid-season firing unlikely. NFL.com reported that Belichick’s deal is a “new contract,” meaning he’s under New England’s control for the rest of the 2023 season and the entire 2024 season.
