More than a half-dozen New England Patriots did not dress for Friday night’s preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.
According to reporters at Allegiant Stadium, running back Damien Harris, cornerback Shaun Wade, tight end Devin Asiasi, offensive lineman Bill Murray, wide receivers Tyquan Thornton and Kristian Wilkerson and linebacker Harvey Langi were not in uniform for the Patriots.
Harris, the Patriots’ lead back, left Wednesday’s joint practice and did not return. The nature and severity of his injury have not been reported.
Wade and Murray were limited in both joint practices, and Thornton (shoulder), Wilkerson (concussion) and Langi (undisclosed) did not participate in any of New England’s three practices in Las Vegas. Asiasi is dealing with a minor quad injury, per a report from the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.
This could prove to be a costly absence for Asiasi and Wade, who both entered Friday on the roster bubble. The former is fighting for a spot as the third tight end behind Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. The latter is looking to nab one of the final cornerback spots, with the Patriots potentially needing to between Wade and veteran Terrance Mitchell.
Head coach Bill Belichick said on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s pregame show that New England’s healthy starters will play against the Raiders, but the majority of snaps Friday night will go to backups and roster hopefuls.
The Patriots’ first-team offense and defense saw significant work during this week’s two joint practices in Las Vegas.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and offensive tackles Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn all suited up Friday after missing last week’s preseason game against Carolina. Wideout Nelson Agholor also was in uniform after spending the final portion of Wednesday’s practice on the sideline.
New England must finalize its initial 53-man roster by 4 p.m. ET next Tuesday.
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