Jabaal Sheard, Shea McClellin among players who missed Patriots’ preseason finale
Jimmy Garoppolo was the most notable Patriot not on the field, but he was not the only one.
The fourth game of the preseason has a reputation for being dotted with second-string players, as teams hope to forge ahead into the regular season with as much of their starting roster in tact as possible. Bill Belichick gave an even vaguer-than-usual reason for going with Garoppolo over Brady, but it seemed to imply he wanted to keep the former out of harm’s way.
Here are the other players missing from Thursday’s preseason finale:
Jabaal Sheard
This absence was expected, given that Sheard has been dealing with a sprained MCL suffered in the team’s preseason matchup with the Saints. His absence did open the door for new players like Trey Flowers and Chris Long to shine, and for those on the bubble like Anthony Johnson and Geneo Grissom to see more time on the field.
Shea McClellin
Slightly more surprising was McClellin not taking the field, who is still acclimating to the Patriots defense after being signed this offseason, and having returned to practice on Monday after playing sparingly during the preseason with an undisclosed injury.
Cre’Von LeBlanc
That the promising cornerback was not able to suit up came as disappointing, if slightly expected, news. LeBlanc has been making a strong push to make the team with eye-opening plays, although he faces stiff competition from the more athletic likes of Darryl Roberts and Jonathan Jones, as well as the possibility that the team will instead carry an extra safety.
Rob Ninkovich
The Patriots were without all of their key defensive ends from last season, as Rob Ninkovich continued to be sidelined with a torn triceps muscle. Newcomer Barkevious Mingo did impress too though, with six tackles and two quarterback hits.
Jonathan Cooper and Shaq Mason
Despite Joe Thuney seemingly running away with the starting left guard spot, interior offensive line play continues to be an area to monitor after the team cut ties with Bryan Stork. Tre Jackson is still on the PUP list, and with Cooper and Mason still dealing with injuries, the team may need to turn to a less-proven option like Chris Barker, Josh Kline, or Ted Karras.
In addition to all of the above players, Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Bolden, Brandon King and Matthew Slater, got the night off presumably to protect their health, and Danny Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell were also held out as they tended to ongoing injuries.
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