With the Patriots ruling out three players for Sunday's game in Cleveland, reinforcements are coming from the practice squad this week.
New England elevated wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey and quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the practice squad. Since wide receiver Nelson Agholor was ruled out, the team used Humphrey's second standard elevation of the season to bolster their depth at the position.
However, the bigger story is that Gilbert also has a chance to dress on Sunday. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones made the trip to Cleveland and has not been ruled out yet, but elevating Gilbert indicates that Jones's status for Sunday is still uncertain.
We last saw the Patriots quarterback in a 37-26 loss to the Ravens in Week 3, where he suffered a high-ankle sprain on the last offensive play. Although his three interceptions ended up as the main headline, Jones threw for 321 passing yards and completed six passes of 20-plus air yards.
As for Humphrey, his move back to the practice squad didn't inhibit him from being active on game day. The Pats blocking receiver played only 14 snaps last week, but against the NFL's worst run defense, Humphrey's blocking skills could be a factor again.
As a big-bodied receiver, the Patriots use Humphrey as a cross between a wide receiver and a tight end. He'll likely fill in as the fifth receiver with Agholor ruled out on Saturday.
The Patriots and Browns will kick off at 1 pm ET at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday in Cleveland.
