Former University of Maine standout Trevor Bates was back on the New England Patriots practice squad on Sunday after being waived by the NFL team on Saturday, according to a bostonherald.com report.
Bates, a Westbrook native, received lots of playing time in the Patriots past two preseason games and there was some speculation that he was close to making the team’s 53-man roster.
The linebacker was a member of the team’s practice squad last season and traveled to Houston for Super Bowl LI. He later received a ring after the Patriots win over the Atlanta Falcons.
A few days after the game, the Patriots signed Bates to a $465,000 contract for the 2017 season.
Bates, 24, was drafted in the seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts in April 2016 before being released in the team’s final roster cutdowns.
He spent some time on their practice squad and played in a Week 5 game against the Chicago Bears, recording 22 special-teams snaps.
The Colts subsequently released Bates, who was picked up by the Patriots soon after.
In 46 career games at UMaine, Bates tallied 207 tackles, 19 sacks, five forced fumbles (two recoveries) and three interceptions. He returned a fumble and an interception for a touchdown.
He was an All-Colonial Athletic Association first-team selection in 2015 after making 57 tackles, including a team-best 7 1/2 sacks. He ranked third in the league with 14 1/2 tackles for a loss of yardage.
On Saturday, the Patriots sent second-year quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the Colts in exchange for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, both teams announced.
Jimmy Garoppolo, who was involved in several offseason trade rumors, is staying put for now and will continue to serve as the primary backup to four-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady.
The move provides insurance for the Colts as three-time Pro Bowl starter Andrew Luck continues to recover from shoulder surgery in January. Luck passed a physical Saturday afternoon, making him eligible to be removed from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
However, Colts owner Jim Irsay on Thursday said that Luck was unlikely to be ready for the team’s Week 1 game on the road against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10. Scott Tolzien is Luck’s backup.
“I would say the odds are most likely he probably won’t open up against the Rams,” Irsay told reporters of Luck. “But let me be clear about it: In our own minds it’s something that we haven’t ruled out.”
Brissett, 24, started two games for the Patriots last season during Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension following an injury to Garoppolo, becoming the first African American quarterback to start a game for New England.
His first start came Sept. 22 in a 27-0 win against the Houston Texans. Brissett completed 11 of 19 passes for 103 yards and rushed for 48 yards and one touchdown on eight carries.
Brissett went 17 of 27 with 205 yards in his next start the following week, a 16-0 home loss to the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills.
He made his NFL debut on Sept. 18, completing 6 of 9 passes for 92 yards after Garoppolo left the game after suffering an injury.
Brissett finished his rookie season having completed 34 of 55 passes for 400 yards while rushing for 83 yards and the one touchdown on 16 carries in three games.
The Patriots selected Brissett with the 91st overall pick in the third round of the 2016 draft out of North Carolina State.
In New England’s preseason finale against the New York Giants on Aug. 31, Brissett piled up 341 yards on 28-of-39 passing, four touchdowns and one interception in New England’s 40-38 loss.
Dorsett, 24, is entering his third NFL season after the Colts drafted him with the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the 2015 draft. He has 51 career receptions for 753 yards and three touchdowns in 26 games (seven starts).
Last season, Dorsett set career highs in catches (33), receiving yards (528) and touchdowns (two) while starting seven of the 15 games he played for Indianapolis.
New England lost wide receiver Julian Edelman to a torn ACL in the team’s third preseason game.
The Patriots made another trade on Saturday when they acquired cornerback Johnson Bademosi in a trade with the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed future draft pick on Saturday.
Detroit will receive a 2019 sixth-round pick from New England in the deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
The 27-year-old Bademosi is expected to be used primarily as a special teamer in New England. He led the Cleveland Browns in special teams tackles in each of his first four seasons before joining the Lions in 2016.
Bademosi is entering his sixth NFL season after joining the Browns in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford. He spent his first four seasons with the Browns before signing a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Lions before last season.
Last season in Detroit, Bademosi had 22 tackles, a career-high five passes defensed and his lone interception as a pro in 16 games. He has 93 tackles and eight passes defensed over 78 career games.