FOXBORO — The Patriots have a brand new blocking tight finish ready within the wings who has familiarity with head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Patriots have been in a position to signal tight finish Thomas Odukoya, a local of Amsterdam, to their observe squad with an extra seventeenth spot as a part of the worldwide pathway program after he was launched by the Titans this week.
Vrabel noticed Odukoya progress throughout their time collectively on the Titans in 2022 and 2023.
“There’s a small checklist of the worldwide gamers which you could work with throughout the season to have the ability to observe, perceive, and once more, the event of that. Thomas has been with us once we have been in Tennessee. He’s continued to enhance, nice teammate, practices extraordinarily arduous. He’s improved – was an excellent blocker – however has improved simply his total physique management and talent to run routes for a Y tight finish,” Vrabel stated. “It’s not like some receiving tight finish, however he is aware of what his function is. He contributes on particular groups, and he’s gotten higher. We simply weren’t in a position to get him earlier than. He would return there, and that was his prerogative. Hopefully, he can proceed to enhance, be a beneficial member right here with the worldwide program and be prepared, like all people else on this observe squad, to organize as a starter.”
Conventional observe squad gamers might be elevated to the lively roster a most of 3 times. For the reason that Patriots have an exemption for Odukoya as a global pathway program participant, they would wish to signal him to their lively roster to ensure that him to play on gameday.
“We must handle the roster, signal him and do some various things,” Vrabel stated. “He doesn’t have the identical elevation guidelines that the opposite gamers have, I believe, however we’d clearly cross that bridge and discuss these issues.”
Odukoya was launched to soccer within the Netherlands by a classmate. He performed 9-on-9 soccer in Amsterdam earlier than coming to the US, the place he performed at two junior faculties earlier than transferring to Japanese Michigan. He’s spent his total NFL profession, up thus far, with the Titans since going undrafted in 2022.
He appeared in two video games this season however didn’t register any stats. He may fill a necessity as an extra blocking tight finish to assist the Patriots’ struggling speeding assault. The Patriots at the moment have tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, plus fullback Jack Westover, on their 53-man roster and C.J. Dippre on the observe squad.
