The New England Patriots have waived Tyler Gaffney and the running back could possibly return to the Pats, as reports have the team trying to stash him on injured reserve for the second straight year if he clears waivers and this comes as the team has traded linebacker Matthew Wells to the Chicago Bears for guard Ryan Groy.
The Patriots acquired Gaffney last season when the Carolina Panthers placed the 2014 draft pick on waivers due to a knee injury. Gaffney was going to be out for the season and the team had hoped to put the running back on injured reserve to keep him on the team, but the Patriots jumped up and claimed him on waivers. According to Pro Football Talk, the Patriots are trying to pull the same move in the hopes of keeping Gaffney for another season.
Gaffney was a sixth round draft pick and he came out of Stanford after rushing for 1709 yards and 21 touchdowns. Gaffney has yet to appear in an NFL game and the Patriots clearly are intrigued by his size and athleticism, but Gaffney has not been able to stay healthy. Gaffney has not been able to work out fully with the Patriots this offseason and ESPN Boston reported in June that the running back was not "a lock" for the final roster this season.
The Patriots are hoping to stash Gaffney again, as the team has LeGarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden, James White and Travaris Cadet all competing for time. Bill Belichick has done the waiver claim moves in the past like the Pats did with Gaffney, including on tight end Jake Ballard when the Giants placed him on waivers after a serious knee injury in the hopes of stashing him.
The Patriots also pulled off a minor trade with the Chicago Bears, as Pro Football Talk reports that New England has acquired guard Ryan Groy for linebacker Matthew Wells. Groy previously signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent and started three games last season, while Wells was drafted this year and was not likely going to make the Pats final roster. Groy may have not been in line to make the Bears and this deal could give both teams a solid player to compete at a need position.
Groy has some solid experience from last season, as he played in four games for the Bears and was on the field for over 230 snaps during the 2014 slate. The Patriots wanted to add more depth at guard and with solid depth already at linebacker, moving Wells likely will not hurt the team much. Wells comes in after being drafted out of Mississippi State and he previously had 33 starts in college.
Check here for more on the Patriots, the Bears trade and Gaffney.
