The New England Patriots practice squad has been poached by an old rival for the services of one of its most valuable members.
The Indianapolis Colts have reportedly signed second-year linebacker Cameron McGrone to their 53-man roster. As such, McGrone's brief stint with the Patriots has come to an end, without his taking a regular-season snap for the team.
Following their successful drafting of ex-Michigan linebacker Josh Uche in 2020, the New England once again dipped into the Wolverines defensive well with McGrone’s selection in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 6-1, 234-pound linebacker has the potential to be a three-down player in the MIKE role. McGrone played in only 19 games with 15 starts at Michigan, a relatively small sample size for scouting purposes. He finished his collegiate career with the Wolverines with 91 tackles (11 for loss) to go with four sacks and one forced fumble.
McGrone suffered a season-ending ACL injury versus Rutgers in November 2020. As a result, his draft stock plummeted. However, his toughness and impressive range clearly made him worth the investment for New England.
Despite not playing a down for the Pats in 2021 due to his injury, McGrone entered Patriots training camp in 2022 with a great deal of preseason hype. He performed well in early team drills yet faded as practices gave way to preseason games. As such, McGrone failed to make New England's initial 53-man roster. He quicky re-signed with the team's practice squad, where he has spent the entirety of the season. Despite being elevated to the Pats game day roster for their Week 14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, McGrone was declared inactive just prior to kickoff.
With the Colts, he is expected to add both speed and athleticism to the position for the remainder of the season, and potentially beyond.
The Patriots, in turn, now have an open spot on their practice squad as they begin preparations for a Week 16 must-win matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.
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