Patriots Place 2 Players on IR, Add 2 From Practice Squad

The New England Patriots placed two players on injured reserve and promoted two players from the practice squad in a flurry of moves Saturday afternoon. 

New England first placed linebacker Jonathan Freeny and tight end Greg Scruggs on IR, who were both already ruled out for Sunday's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Freeny, who didn't play much last week, had been dealing with a shoulder injury as of late. Though he was active for the team's first five games of the season, he tallied just 10 total tackles in limited time.

Scruggs, who started his career as a defensive lineman before transitioning to the tight end position, was signed by the team after being released by the Chicago Bears after Week 3. He had been inactive for New England the past two weeks due to a knee injury and appears to be developmental option for the team.

To replace the two injured players, the Patriots signed both defensive end Geneo Grissom and defensive tackle Anthony Johnson off of their practice squad.

Grissom was drafted by the team in the third round of the 2015 draft but struggled to contribute in the defense last season and during the 2016 preseason. His inability to produce along the line forced the team to waive him prior to the start of the season, though they were able to resign him to their practice squad. While his ability to impact the game on defense may still be lacking, his athleticism will allow him to provide depth on special teams in place of Freeny.

Johnson was signed by the team this off-season and performed well enough in the preseason that the team added him on the initial 53-man roster. After dressing for just two of the team's first three games, he was released and resigned to the practice squad. With the team having just three other true tackles on the active roster, he will add depth along the defensive interior.