The New England Patriots are preparing to face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, and they have made a number of roster moves ahead of the game.
The Patriots announced they have elevated linebacker Keshawn Banks and tight end Jack Westover to the 53-man roster. They were previously part of the practice squad.
Banks, who played his collegiate football at San Diego State, went undrafted but ended up as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers in May 2023.
The 24-year-old never played a game for the Packers before being released by the team last August. He then joined New England’s practice squad in late October.
During five seasons at San Diego State, Banks collected 139 tackles, 43 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
He made his Pats debut last week, playing on special teams.
Meanwhile, Westover signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in April. The University of Washington product was released by the Seahawks just before the regular season.
Early last month, he joined the Patriots’ practice squad.
Westover spent five years in Washington from 2019 through 2023, but didn’t see significant playing time until 2022, when he caught 31 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown.
The 25-year-old would haul in 46 receptions for 433 yards and four scores during his final season with the Huskies last year.
It seems unlikely that either player will be a regular contributor for New England through the remainder of 2024, but stranger things have happened.
The Pats are 3-8 heading into their matchup with the Dolphins. They have been playing much better football lately, but it still seems obvious that they still have a long way to go.
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