It was already known the New England Patriots special teams would be integrating in a new piece Saturday due to the injury to long snapper Joe Cardona.
But the unit may have more of a different look than just at long snapper with the Patriots announcing they elevated another specialist from the practice squad prior to their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
While the Patriots signed Tucker Addington to the 53-man roster to replace Cardona — that move came as no surprise as Cardona was put on the injured reserve — New England also called up kicker Tristan Vizcaino, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
This is the second time Vizcaino has been elevated by the Patriots this season as he could be used on kickoffs. The 26-year-old has had three separate stints on New England’s practice squad this year and even spent some time away from the organization in November when he signed with the Arizona Cardinals. He appeared in just one game for the Cardinals and kicked two field goals in a win over the Los Angeles Rams before being released.
The Patriots also added another pass-catcher to their much-maligned offense by elevating wide receiver Scotty Washington. Like Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Washington is actually a hybrid wideout/tight end as he stands at 6-foot-5 and 217 pounds.
Washington is plenty familiar with the Bengals as he was on Cincinnati’s practice squad the past two seasons. The 25-year-old Wake Forest product has yet to appear in an NFL game.
The Patriots and Bengals square off on Christmas Eve with kickoff from Gillette Stadium scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
