The New England Patriots are scrambling, bringing back offensive lineman Jack Conley and signing punter Matt Haack, all thanks to some rough hits in their preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. These aren’t just depth moves, they’re straight-up emergency calls after Saturday’s game saw two key players go down, making for some serious head-scratching moments on the sideline.
Who Are These Dudes? And Why Now?
Let’s talk about Jack Conley first. This guy, 25 years old and a mountain at 6-foot-7, 333 pounds, came into the NFL last spring as an undrafted free agent from Boston College. The Patriots originally scooped him up, had him playing both tackle and guard, then put him on their initial practice squad. But get this, less than a month into that season, they cut him loose. After bouncing around with the Lions and Browns, he’s somehow found his way back to Foxborough. Talk about a full circle, right? You gotta wonder what kind of desperate situation brings a player back after that kind of journey.
Then there’s Matt Haack, the 32-year-old punter. If you’ve been around the league for a minute, you might recognize the name, because this dude has been EVERYWHERE. Since joining as a rookie free agent in 2017, Haack has punted for nine different franchises: the Dolphins, Bills, Colts, Cardinals, Browns, Giants, Jaguars, and Broncos. He was just with the Commanders for training camp, where he punted six times for a 44.7-yard average in their preseason opener. That’s a serious resume, but also a serious question mark: why so many teams? It screams urgency when you’re bringing in a guy with that much mileage.
When Your Punter’s Out, Things Get Wild
So, why the sudden need for these two? Saturday’s preseason game against the Eagles went sideways. Offensive tackle Marcus Bryant had to leave the field early after injuring his ankle in the first quarter, which is always brutal to see. But the real curveball came with punter Bryce Baringer. After his second punt of the day, Baringer was limited to *only* holding duties. Think about that for a second. Your specialist can’t do his primary job! Who stepped up to punt in his place? None other than rookie quarterback Behren Morton. You know things are getting wild when your quarterback is suddenly pulling double duty as a punter. That’s not a good sign for team health or depth.
This Thursday, the Patriots close out their preseason against the Browns at Cleveland’s Huntington Bank Field, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET. It’s their last chance to get things straightened out before the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline hits three days later on August 30. You know everyone is fighting for their jobs, and these emergency signings just crank up the pressure even more.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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