Report: Patriots Elevate Defensive Lineman Before Week 8 Game Vs. Chargers

The New England Patriots will get every bit of help they can get ahead of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a big game for Bill Belichick’s team and the Patriots have already started making changes to the roster. This time Patriots decided to elevate defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale. He is joining the active roster on the eve of Sunday’s game. If you are counting, this is the final standard elevation for Ekuale.

The Washington State product joined the Patriots practice unit in September. The team elevated him for the blowout win over the New York Jets. Patriots players celebrated a 54-13 win and Ekuale saw 17 defensive snaps and had his second career sack. This was enough for Belichick to bring him back in the fold again.

Patriots elevate the defensive lineman for a reason

The 27-year-old joined the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He saw action in 16 games with five starts during his time with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars. The NFL has rules, and as part of its addendum, Ekuale will revert Monday without being subject to waivers.

Special teamer Brandon King is ruled out for the game against LA. Fourteen players are listed as questionable for the game. Defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Carl Davis, and Deatrich Wise Jr. are on this list.

New England struggles with a few injuries at the moment, but there’s no room for concern. Belichick made the much needed elevations and he will probably follow the same pattern throughout the entire season. Players have limited number of elevations, and some of them get to join the active roster after the final elevation. Will Ekuale get the chance to see better action in 2021?

The Patriots have a long way to go and we can only make predictions right now. Belichick is confident about his team and he has the right players for the right positions.

Andre Dillard makes perfect sense for the Patriots right now. Belichick may consider making a move for the big lineman. This is just one of the many possibilities for the Patriots. We wouldn’t jump into conclusions though.