Patriots Sign Receiver And Former First-Round Pick

The New England Patriots made a move to sign a wide receiver to their practice unit. Head coach Bill Belichick is adjusting his roster and adding Laquon Treadwell makes perfect sense at the moment. The former Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver joined the NFL as a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.  The Vikings used their 23^rd pick to get him out of Ole Miss.

Field Yates from ESPN confirmed the signing. In 2021, Treadwell saw action in 12 games, delivering 451 receiving yards.

The Patriots are signing WR Laquon Treadwell to their practice squad, per source.

Treadwell finished with 451 receiving yards in 12 games for the Jaguars last season.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 5, 2022

NFL players sustain serious injuries and miss significant time. Belichick has to be prepared for such scenario. Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton sustained an injury and will miss at least four games. The Patriots placed him on injured reserve a few days ago. Kristian Wilkerson recovers from injury, too. Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal reported that Jakobi Meyers saw limited action in practice. In other words, Belichick needs playmakers and more depth at receiver. He had high expectations from Tre Nixon, but didn’t really make an impact in the preseason.

Treadwell, 27, has a lot of experience. This moves adds more depth with Tyquan Thornton out but also keep an eye out for Jakobi Meyers on the injury report. Looked like he was limited last week. https://t.co/xtVgJKaiYQ

— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) September 5, 2022

Patriots sign receiver to add depth to the unit

Treadwell, 27, measures at 6’22 and weighs 215 pounds. He was brilliant in his junior season at Mississippi, delivering 82 receptions for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The receiver didn’t have an explosive performance in his early beginnings with the Vikings. The same happened in his five games with the Atlanta Falcons.

FAKE NEWS! I balled my guy, this is business and nothing more! Constantly spreading fake news on my name, check the tape! https://t.co/yrgeNt0QqX

— Laquon Treadwell (@SuccessfulQuon) September 5, 2020

In 2021, Treadwell played with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had 434 yards which is a career-high for him and also had 51 catches.

Treadwell may not be an impact player in New England, too, but his presence could be of great help for the Patriots. The wide receiver may even get a chance to see action in regular season games.

The #Patriots have an open spot on the 53-man roster (Tyquan to IR). So it’s possible that a player from the practice squad is signing to the 53.

Also possible that they’ll release a player from the practice squad to make room for Treadwell.

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) September 5, 2022

How will the Patriots use him? Treadwell can turn into a downfield threat for starting quarterback Mac Jones. If his presence helps the Patriots in any expected way, Belichick will consider elevating him later in the season. He may even remove someone from the practice unit to make room for Treadwell.