Report: Patriots Add 300-Pound Defensive Tackle

The New England Patriots have made a lot of moves this past period, and even got a big defensive tackle for their defensive line.

Defensive tackle Akeem Spence joined the practice squad. He was a promising prospect coming out of Illinois. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him with the 100^th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Spence was a durable player in his career and he has always been a contributor to the game. He spent four years with the bucks and played in all 16 games in three of these seasons. However, Spence did miss half the season in 2015.

Spence signed a deal with the Detroit Lions in 2017. He played in all regular-season games there. In 2018, Spence started in all 16 games for the Miami Dolphins. In 2019, he missed one game and played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles.

Patriots to use their new defensive tackle instead of Adam Butler

New England gives Spence a chance to make an impact down the stretch.

When the defensive tackle was selected, Dan Hope from Bleacher Report wrote the following report:

“At only 6’1” with 33 1/2” arms, Spence’s height and length are less than ideal for a defensive lineman. Spence is a decent but unspectacular athlete. He does not have considerable quickness or explosiveness. He runs fairly well for a defensive tackle (he ran a 5.15 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine), but is not going to track down many plays in the open field with his running. His best physical asset is his strength. He put measurable proof of his strength on display at the combine, putting up 37 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press, the third-most of any player at the event.”

Adam Butler won’t play in the game against the Houston Texans. Spence won’t play either, but the Patriots can keep him around if Butler stays out for a long time. Maybe Spence will join the Patriots in their game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Spence may not be a game-changer, but he is definitely a great option for the team.