LaFell Out, Stork Likely To Miss Patriots Season Opener Against Steelers
By Gregory Hunt
The New England Patriots made it out of the 2015 preseason relatively unscathed; only two players who saw any snaps with the Patriots last year, fullback James Develin and wide receiver Brian Tyms, start the regular season on the injured reserve list. Thus, the Patriots will go into Thursday night's season opener at Gillette Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a fairly healthy roster.
Injured Reserve List
Develin, who played in all 16 regular season games last year, but received only nine touches, will miss the season due to a broken leg he suffered in a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. His highlight of last season was when he caught a one-yard touchdown pass in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. Tyms, who played in 11 regular season games but did not appear in the postseason, suffered a foot injury during joint practices with the New Orleans Saints. Last season, Tyms caught only five passes for 82 yards and one touchdown.
Also beginning the season on the injured reserve list are two veterans and two rookies that have yet to see any official snaps with the Patriots. Wide receiver Brandon Gibson, a free agent acquisition who played last year with the Miami Dolphins, is out with a knee injury he suffered during the preseason game with the Saints. Running back Tyler Gaffney, who spent his rookie season with the Patriots on the injured reserve list with a knee injury, is on the list again with an injury that is undisclosed this time around. The rookies on the list are tight end AJ Derby and defensive back Darryl Roberts, both with undisclosed injuries.
Reserve/Physically Unable To Perform List
Three players, linebacker Dane Fletcher, defensive tackle Chris Jones and wide receiver Brandon LaFell, start the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Fletcher, who played for New England from 2010-2013 before spending last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, suffered a torn ACL late last season and is reportedly still recovering from it. Jones, who started 11 games for the Patriots in 2014, is suffering from an undisclosed injury. LaFell, who played in all 16 games last season and scored seven touchdowns on 74 receptions, is the most significant injury loss for the Patriots as they enter Week One. He is nursing a foot injury.
Official Injury Report For Week One
Starting center Bryan Stork has not participated in practice this week due to a concussion. He looks unlikely to start Thursday against the Steelers, so Ryan Wendell may move from right guard to center, putting reserve lineman Josh Kline at right guard. Safety Tavon Wilson, suffering from a quadriceps injury, has seen limited participation in practice. He was not expected to start, so he may be listed as inactive for Thursday's game.
Running back Travaris Cadet is dealing with a hamstring injury while defensive lineman Trey Flowers is nursing a knee injury. Both of them have seen full participation in practice, but because both of them are also listed third on the Patriots depth chart at their positions, both of them may be listed as inactive against the Steelers.
Gregory Hunt is a Boston native and a life-long fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. He's also particularly fond of lacrosse, IndyCar racing and women's college basketball. He currently works for Examiner.com where he serves as the Senior Manager of Content and Media Access. He also writes for Examiner.com as the New England Patriots Examiner. His work can be found on aExaminer.com.
