The New England Patriots announced on Wednesday they were placing sixth-year linebacker Oshane Ximines on injured reserve. They also announced the signing of rookie defensive end Jamree Kromah to the 53-man roster.
It was a busy day for the Patriots ahead of Thursday’s AFC East showdown against the New York Jets.
Ximines, who has been dealing with a knee injury, was one of the preseason standouts for the Patriots. He showed his ability to be disruptive by recording a sack in each of the first two exhibition games.
His emergence, along with Keion White’s unbelievable progression, was probably why the team felt comfortable parting ways with four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon before the season.
Ximines is at least out for the next four games with the injured reserve designation.
Meanwhile, Kromah is an undrafted rookie out of James Madison. He signed with the Chicago Bears in the offseason and was released during the roster cuts, before re-signing to the practice squad. He’s a large and powerful defender coming off a 10-sack season as a senior in college.
Considering the many pieces missing along the defensive front for the Patriots, they could certainly use the added depth on the roster.