The New England Patriots are trimming the edges of their practice squad again, and this time the move hits the interior offensive line.
According to a source, the team is releasing undrafted center Jacob Rizy from the practice squad. Rizy, a rookie who joined the Patriots out of Florida State this offseason, had been one of three offensive linemen on the unit, alongside guard Jake Kubas and tackle Lorenz Metz. Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald first reported the move.
Rizy’s path through camp had him working as the third center behind Jared Wilson and Ben Brown for much of the summer. When Brown suffered a knee injury in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, Rizy moved up the depth chart and handled the backup center role for the rest of the preseason. He stayed in that spot long enough to look like a real candidate for a roster place, but after being waived in late August, he cleared waivers and landed back with New England on the practice squad.
His college résumé stretched across five seasons split between Harvard and Florida State. Over that span, Rizy appeared in 45 career games and earned First Team All-Ivy League honors in 2023 for the Crimson. He lined up at left guard, center, right guard and right tackle in college, though he has mostly worked at center since arriving in the NFL.
“I don’t really know what to expect. It’s the NFL.
I’ve only ever played high school and then college, and I knew this would be a step up,” Rizy said during training camp. “Just trying to find my way around, get better every day.
Trying to get 1% better ever day.”
Brown’s return to practice appears to be part of the reason the Patriots made the switch. Rizy’s place on the roster was tied to Brown’s availability, and with Brown back on the field, New England may no longer have felt the need to keep as many interior line backups around.
Brown was recently listed as a limited participant on the team’s initial Week 2 injury report ahead of the home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots also added some insurance by bringing back veteran Greg Van Roten in August, and he has handled more of the center and guard work with the second-string offense. He also played a few snaps in the season opener as a jumbo tight end.
With Rizy out, New England now has one open practice squad spot before Thursday’s practice. Free agent guard Xavier Newman-Johnson was recently at the facility for a visit, according to the NFL transaction log, which could point to him as a possible replacement.
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