Patriots Bring Back Ex-Starter as Potential Will Campbell Replacement
No doubt, the Patriots have been able to tap-dance around their depth problem for most of the season to this point by having the good fortune to mostly avoid major injuries. While the frontline roster has performed well, the team has long known it has issues when it comes to the backups. As long as the backups did not have to play, there was no problem. But this weekend’s spate of injuries, especially to tackle Will Campbell, means that their luck has run out.
In addition to defensive lineman Milton Williams being on the shelf for four games, minimum, with a high ankle sprain (he is on IR), the Patriots have now lost Campbell for an as-yet undetermined stretch, as well as guard Jared Wilson (ankle sprain).
The Patriots plugged in Vederian Lowe at tackle and Ben Brown at guard to finish out the Bengals game. But the Patriots may not have a lot of confidence in that as a long-term fix, as shown on Tuesday with a series of roster moves meant to beef up the depth on the line.
Patriots Bringing Back Thayer Munford Jr.
The big name is 26-year-old Thayer Munford Jr., and while he won’t be suiting up in the Pro Bowl anytime soon, he is a guy the Patriots know well and have a comfort level with at left tackle. Munford was a seventh-round draft pick by the Raiders in 2022, when Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the head coach in Las Vegas. Munford started eight games in a season-and-a-half for McDaniels.
McDaniels thought enough of him that the Patriots brought Munford right after he was made a final-day cut by the Raiders in August. But Cleveland signed Munford to the 53-man roster off the New England practice squad in September. The Browns demoted him again to the practice squad last month, though, giving the Patriots their chance to make a move on him.
Per the Patriots’ release, Munford has played, “46 NFL games with 18 starts with 11 at right tackle, five at left tackle and two as a tackle-eligible tight end.”
Confidence Level in Will Campbell, Jared Wilson Replacements?
The Patriots also added guard Bill Murray, a former UDFA who was in New England, mostly on the practice squad, from 2020-23 before spending last season with the Bears. Murray has made only four NFL appearances.
To make room for the pair, the Patriots moved cornerback Alex Austin to the injured reserve and released veteran running back Jonathan Ward.
While the Patriots themselves might not have overwhelming confidence in Lowe and Brown on the left side of the line, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was certainly trying to hype them up a bit during his appearance on WEEI in Boston this week.
“All those reps we got last year, those are gonna pay off,” Maye said. “[They’ve] made me comfortable when they do get reps in practice. … That’s the biggest thing I tell them — ‘I trust you guys.’”
Lakers Star Sends Firing Shot After Clippers Fight: ‘I Ain’t Afraid of Nobody’
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic refuses to be a pushover.
After Tuesday’s brawl between the Lakers and Clippers, which Kris Dunn instigated, Doncic sent a clear warning to the rest of the NBA. In his postgame news conference, Doncic explained the events leading to Dunn’s ejection and Jaxon Hayes receiving a technical foul for defending him from the Clippers guard.
“I was going for a rebound, and I got a cheap shot in my back,” Doncic said of how Dunn instigated the brawl, via Spectrum SportsNet.
“…I’m not gonna just stand, you know,” he continued. “I ain’t afraid of nobody. I won’t just stand there and let it go… That’s what the game is about. Sometimes it’s gonna get physical. There’s a lot of trash talk. I live for that, so I love it.”
Luka Doncic (43 points, 13 assists , and 9 rebounds) discusses LeBron and AR starting off the 4th Q strong, Paying Jaxson Hayes’ fine, the NBA Cup courts, and his scoring success against the Clippers.
Get closer to the action with Spectrum SportsNet+. 🔗: t.co/k8Sa1tLkWs
Luka Doncic Thanks Jaxson Hayes
The incident involving Doncic, Hayes and Dunn occurred with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter when the Lakers had a comfortable 123-113 lead. After Ivica Zubac made a basket to cut the deficit to 10, Dunn ran into Doncic, who fell to the floor from the physical contact. An angry Doncic would charge towards Dunn, who would respond by pushing the ball into the Slovenian’s chest, prompting Hayes to get involved.
Hayes, who shares a close bond with Doncic on and off the court, shoved Dunn, who responded by hitting the Lakers center in the face. The referees consulted the replays before ejecting Dunn and slapping Hayes with a technical foul.
Doncic thanked Hayes for having his back.
“I appreciate him. I told him right away, ‘thank you for having my back,'” Doncic said of his conversation with Hayes after Tuesday’s incident.
“That says a lot about him, and a lot about this team. Everybody has each other’s back.”
Luka Doncic to Cover for Hayes
The Slovenian also confirmed in his postgame interview with NBC Sports that he will foot the bill for Hayes, who will incur a $2000 fine for a technical foul.
“I’ll pay his fine for sure,” Doncic announced after the game.
Doncic finished with 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, including 32 first-half points, as the Lakers completed a 135-118 rout of the Clippers. The performance marked Doncic’s 51st career 40-point game, while he barely fell short of his 10th career 40-point triple-double. LeBron James and Austin Reaves were excellent in their roles as the second and third options, combining for 56 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
The Lakers (13-4) won their fifth straight game and improved to 3-0 in the NBA Cup. According to the NBA, the Lakers have clinched Group B in the in-season tournament, joining the Toronto Raptors as the second team to qualify for the Knockout rounds.
The @Lakers are the first Western Conference team to advance to the Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds after winning West Group B.
With the Lakers and Raptors into the Quarterfinals, six spots remain up for grabs as Group Play continues Wednesday and concludes Friday.
