New England Patriots Get 2 Potential Weapons for Clash With the Chargers

Veteran quarterback Cam Newton and the New England Patriots will get two valuable weapons for the game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

New England signed veteran wideout Donte Moncrief to the active roster on Saturday. He was called up from the practice unit for two standard elevations in the past two weeks. On Saturday, the Patriots made a move. The team also activated rookie tight end Dalton Keene from IR.

Both players will be active and ready to help the team win the Week 13 at SoFi Stadium.

My guess is the Patriots did not lose a draft pick in the Isaiah Ford trade. He did not play a snap and was on the 53-man roster for only 3 games.

— Cap Space = $20,335,200 (@patscap) December 5, 2020

Moncrief joined the active roster right when the Patriots released Isaiah Ford. The team sent a conditional pick to the Miami Dolphins to get Ford. However, he failed to meet the expectations. Moncrief did better on the depth charts, and head coach Bill Belichick really likes him.

Head coach Bill Belichick and his Patriots players are ready for the Chargers

During his live stream presser, Belichick had words of praise for Moncrief.

“Donte has had a real good attitude since he got here. He’s had to learn some different things offensively, both terminology and some route concepts and so forth, but he’s done a good job of that. He’s shown his good running skills and good athleticism and good hands. So, those are good qualities for a kickoff returner. He’s got good size and speed and toughness and runs hard.”

Donte Moncrief breaking tackles for a 53-yard kickoff return.

?: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/plx9PKbRHr

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 29, 2020

Moncrief did better against the Arizona Cardinals and his clutch kick resulted in the first score for the team.

Keene doesn’t have much experience and he has only played a few games. He was able to catch one pass but has yet to make an impact for the team. Patriots hope to see a better performance Sunday.

Patriots.com had great words for Keene right after the organization drafted him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

“Athletic and versatile, lined up all over Virginia Tech’s offense, including inline, split out wide and in the backfield. …Surprising speed and fluidity with the ball in his hands. …Hands-catcher who looks comfortable catching the ball. …Toughness shows up on film and off the field. …Good NFL size and determination in blocking game. …Consistent smart play, no penalties in 2019. …Durable, started 38-straight games. …Plays with infectious energy, a team favorite. …Plus special teams ability.”