Patriots Release Veteran Receiver In Surprising Roster Move

When the Patriots activated Tyquan Thornton off injured reserve last week, the writing was on the wall for New England’s receiving corps. With six wideouts on 53-man rosters and the Patriots historically rostering only five, someone had to go.

Well, now we know the odd man out: Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

The Patriots on Tuesday released Humphrey, as first reported by Field Yates of ESPN. Humphrey now is subject to waivers, and there’s a chance — Mike Reiss called it a “strong possibility” — the 24-year-old clears waivers and winds up back on New England’s practice squad.

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, considering Humphrey’s large role this season and Bill Belichick’s admiration for his hybrid abilities. Humphrey in Weeks 2 through 4 saw 38%, 82% and 53% of offensive snaps, largely serving as a de facto tight end in the running game. His playing time dipped to 23% last Sunday as Thornton (42% of offensive snaps) made his NFL debut.

Moreover, Humphrey’s actual role in the passing game was limited. He had only two catches in five games — though he was wide open for a potentially huge gain in Week 2 — and doesn’t possess the kind of dynamic skill sets that other Patriots receivers have.

New England’s wideout group now includes Thornton, DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. It’s fair to wonder whether Bourne, Agholor or even Parker could lose more time if the ultra-fast Thornton proves himself capable of a large workload.

The Patriots will visit the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon.