BURKHEAD SAYS HE IS SET TO GO THURSDAY NIGHT
New RB set to play in opener
FOXBORO — The Patriots will unveil one of their preseason stars Thursday during the opener against the Chiefs.
Running back Rex Burkhead, who missed a week of camp and the Lions game with an undisclosed injury, declared yesterday that he is “ready to go” when the banners drop at Gillette Stadium.
“Just moving on from it,” Burkhead said. “I’m just focused on this week.”
That’s an important development, considering the extent of Burkhead’s practice workload was unknown over the past week. He returned, but the Pats rested their veterans against the Giants and the media window for practice was limited to stretching and early positional drills. The Patriots don’t have to release an injury report until tomorrow.
Burkhead, who signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract over the offseason after four years with the Bengals, only played in one preseason game, but he was stellar against the Texans. He had seven carries for 20 yards but shined in the passing game with three catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, all of which came on one drive.
That’s what made Burkhead’s injury so curious. He exploded through the middle of the field for an untouched 22-yard touchdown reception on his final snap of the game. Tom Brady and the starters were removed after the score, so there was nothing out of the ordinary for Burkhead, who appeared to be fine afterward in the locker room.
However, he missed the ensuing week of practice and didn’t travel to Detroit. Burkhead wouldn’t say whether or not he was playing through an injury against the Texans, just reinforcing that he will be ready for Thursday night’s opener against Kansas City.
“Just preparing mentally, taking mental reps, getting out there and getting in shape for the season whenever I can,” Burkhead said of his quick rehab stint. “I’m just looking forward to this week. We put in a lot of hard work in training camp and OTAs, but now it’s for real.
“I’m just excited, excited with a new team now.”
Carr stalled
With Phillip Dorsett in town, the Patriots unloaded their group of young receivers.
Most notably, undrafted rookie Austin Carr was released after leading the Patriots in the preseason with 14 catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Carr’s production came exclusively with the backups and he was always viewed as a longshot to make the roster, but he quickly became a fan favorite due to his production and reliability.
The Patriots also cut Devin Lucien, Cody Hollister and K.J. Maye.
The Dorsett acquisition might have also impacted D.J. Foster’s chance to make the team. The running back has potential as a pass catcher and could have benefited with a shortage of receivers despite a logjam in the backfield. Foster appears to be a strong candidate to be claimed off waivers.
Tight spot
Tight end Jacob Hollister won the best battle of the summer.
The undrafted rookie beat veteran James O’Shaughnessy in the race to become the third tight end. O’Shaughnessy, who could return to the practice squad, was the superior blocker, but Hollister was the better receiver. He caught 12 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown this season, while O’Shaughnessy had seven receptions for 79 yards.
Hollister was always a strong candidate to make the team, as the Patriots wooed him after the draft with $100,000 in guaranteed money, a sizable amount for an undrafted player. The Pats acquired O’Shaughnessy during the draft from the Chiefs, as they shipped a fifth-round pick for the tight end and a sixth-rounder.
Special deliveries
Bill Belichick had the trade machine on overdrive this week. He acquired linebacker and special teamer Marquis Flowers from the Bengals at the beginning of the week and shipped out cornerback Justin Coleman to the Seahawks two days ago.
Yesterday, the Pats acquired Dorsett, Lions special teamer Johnson Bademosi and Seahawks defensive end Cassius Marsh, who also has plenty of special teams value . . . .
The biggest surprise with yesterday’s cuts: Cole Croston beat out Ted Karras for the top backup job as an interior offensive lineman. Karras held the job last year and appeared to have a nice summer before Croston took his job. Karras would be a logical addition to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Brandon Bolden is another shocking cut considering his tenure with the team. The sixth-year running back was a valued leader on special teams, but might have been expendable due to the number of trade acquisitions this week.