Patriots put RB Rex Burkhead, LB Ja'Whaun Bentley on injured reserve; add DE/OLB John Simon

FOXBOROUGH — A flurry of moves Wednesday morning: Running back Rex Burkhead and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley have been placed on injured reserve, while the Patriots have added defensive end/outside linebacker John Simon and officially announced the re-signing of running back Kenjon Barner.

Burkhead, who has struggled with injury over the last year-plus, injured his neck in Sunday’s loss to the Lions. Bentley’s injury is unknown at this time.

As for Simon, he's a 6-foot-2, 260-pounder who has been in the league five-plus seasons. He has 13 career sacks, including five that came in 2015 with the Texans.

Analysis: So what does this mean for the Patriots?


Let’s take these one at a time. First, Burkhead: The running back has had a ton of injuries since he arrived at the start of the 2017 season, including ribs. When he’s been on the field, he’s been one of the Patriots’ best and most versatile offensive options. Unfortunately, that’s been few and far between — he was limited to just 10 games last year, and was a part-time player this year as well.

His absence, and the early-season injury to running back Jeremy Hill, now puts even more pressure on the likes of rookie Sony Michel and veteran James White. The Patriots did bring back Barner as a depth addition, but now, he could have a bigger role than initially anticipated. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Patriots add another free-agent back sooner-rather-than-later.

As for Bentley, his situation remains a mystery. The fifth-round pick out of Purdue had an excellent start to the preseason, and was a starter right out of the gate in the regular season. While he’s had some rookie moments, it was believed he was one of the true bright spots in a class of first-year players that has suffered some serious injury problems. Now, look for more to be put on the shoulders of veteran Elandon Roberts, as well as starters Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower.

For the record, here's a look at the state of the Patriots 2018 draft class:

OL Isaiah Wynn: injured reserve
RB Sony Michel: missed preseason, 53-man roster
CB Duke Dawson: injured reserve
LB Ja'Whaun Bentley: injured reserve
LB Christian Sam: injured reserve
WR Braxton Berrios: injured reserve
QB Danny Etling: practice squad
CB Keion Crossen: 53-man roster
TE Ryan Izzo: injured reserve