Patriots downgrade starting center to out, announce four roster moves ahead of Saturday's game

15 hours ago 1

The New England Patriots will take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium for their second-to-last game of the season.

Ahead of the matchup, they downgraded center Ben Brown to out due to a concussion. Instead, New England will have to rely on either Cole Strange or Lecitus Smith, neither of who have ever played center in an NFL game, to man the middle of the offense line.

New England also placed cornerback Marcus Jones on season-ending injured reserve with a hip injury. He finished his season with 58 tackles, 10 passes defensed and an interception while averaging a career-high 14.8 yards per punt return. This is the second year in a row that Jones' season ends early due to injury.

To fill his spot on the roster, the Patriots activated tackle Caedan Wallace from injured reserve. He's been out since early October with an ankle injury, and if he's good to go, he could start at either left or right tackle for the final two games of the year. If Wallace plays well, he could solve an issue for the offseason.

New England also elevated wide receiver/returner Alex Erickson and linebacker Montry Rice from the practice squad.

Erickson made his Patriots debut in Week 16 against the Buffalo Bills, fielding one punt. Rice played in his first game with New England last week, playing 13 special teams snaps.