Bill Belichick Has Simple Explanation For Patriots Signing Defensive Tackle

The New England Patriots decided to sign defensive tackle Carl Davis off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice unit last week. It was a big move for the team, and head coach Bill Belichick talked about it.

The Patriots head coach gave his explanation for the team’s decision to get Davis.

“He’s got some experience, and he was available,” coach Belichick said in his video conference.

This is absolutely true.

Patriots could really use a defensive tackle

Davis played 32 games for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Jaguars. He entered the league as a third-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. According to NFL rules, teams are allowed to sign players off other team’s practice squad.

The defensive tackle measures at 6 feet 5, 320 pounds. New England can definitely use another big player. The team lost Danny Shelton in free agency. They got Beau Allen to fill the void, but he sustained a serious injury in training camp. Allen spent his entire season on IR.

New England used practice squad call-ups to boost the defensive line. The team struggled with a lot of issues in this aspect. Let’s not forget that starting D-tackle Byron Coward ended up on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Practice squadder Nick Thurman played 20 snaps as a replacement for Cowart in the Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos. Defensive end Deatrich Wise saw enough action inside than he usually does when Adam Butler exited the game due to an injury.

Davis saw action in just three games for the Jaguars last season. The NFL suspended him for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s PEDs policy. He didn’t join the team for the game against Denver as he completed his battery of COVID-19 testing. However, the New England Patriots will have him back on the field for Sunday’s match against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Patriots are 2-3 at this point of the season, and NFL analysts are sort of confused. New England needs every bit of the talent they could use on the floor. It’s time for improvement.