Patriots sign former first-round WR to active roster

The New England Patriots are still struggling to find consistency from the wide receiver position, and they are hoping a former first-round draft pick from their practice squad can help.

The Patriots on Thursday signed fourth-year receiver Jalen Reagor to their 53-man roster. This is the third time Reagor has been called up from the practice squad for a game. He has one catch on the season, which was an 11-yard reception in last week’s upset win over the Buffalo Bills.

Reagor, 24, was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2020. He failed to live up to expectations and was traded to the Minnesota Vikings last year. The Vikings then released Reagor prior to the start of this season, and he signed a practice-squad deal with New England.

Kendrick Bourne is the Patriots’ leading receiver this season with just 370 yards through seven games.

Though they finally managed to put some points on the board last week, the Pats are averaging just 14.4 points per game, which is second-worst in the league in front of only the New York Giants. It is unlikely that Reagor will provide them with a spark, but they are probably willing to try anything at this point.