Patriots Place Pair On Injury Lists
FOXBORO — Facing a deadline to trim their rosters from 85 members to 80 by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the New England Patriots made a pair of roster transactions to ensure their compliance with the NFL’s mandate.
The Pats announced the placement of outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins on injured reserve, while offensive lineman Andrew Stueber received a reserve/non-football injury designation. For Perkins, his season is over, while Stueber will miss at least the first four games of the 2022 NFL Season.
Perkins was inactive for the first 13 regular season games of his rookie year in 2021, prior to being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 17.
Chosen with the 96th overall selection, Perkins’ talent cannot be denied. At his best, the former Oklahoma Sooner is a disruptive run defender. He is also a relentless pass-rusher, with good burst and closing speed. Several NFL analysts projected Perkins to play on the edge of the defensive line, taking on the responsibilities of a traditional, stand-up rusher.
At 6-3, 253 pounds, Perkins has the size to be an imposing outside linebacker at the pro-level. However, the Pats tend to fill that role with players that show a bit higher level of athleticism. While spending his first season with the Pats both red-shirting and on injured reserve, his time on the practice field was expected to greatly assist him as he transitioned from a hand-in-the-dirt rusher to a potential role on the outside. Still, he struggled to find his place among New England’s primarily corps of linebackers throughout training camp practices in 2022.
Perkins did, however, perform well in both of New England’s preseason contests with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers, playing a total of 57 defensive snaps off the edge. He finished the preseason having compiled six tackles, one sack and one pass deflection.
Stueber has the distinction of being the Patriots’ final choice in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 6-6, 325-pound former Michigan Wolverine appeared in 34 games with 22 starts. He started 20 games at right tackle and two at right guard.
The 22-year-old native of Darien, Connecticut chose to attend Michigan in 2016, after being ranked as a four-star prospect by ESPN and fourth on the list of the top players in the state of Connecticut. In his final year as a Wolverine in 2021, he helped lead the offensive line with the fewest sacks allowed (10) and third-fewest tackles for loss (27) nationally and was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. Following the season he was named first-team All-Big Ten by the media and was named a second-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association.
As a junior at Michigan in 2019, he suffered a torn ACL in training camp and missed the entire season. However, he returned to the field in 2020 and started all six games in the pandemic-shortened campaign; two at right guard and four at right tackle to earn his second varsity letter. Stueber has been absent from the Patriots entire offseason workout program, as well as training camp; including both preseason matchups.
In addition to designating both Perkins and Stueber to the respective injury lists, New England also recently waived tight end Dalton Keene, as well as defensive backs Devin Hafford and Jalen Elliott in order to trim their roster.
All NFL rosters must stand at 53 active players by Aug. 30.
