Patriots promote OT Marcus Cannon to 53-man roster amid series of moves

Oct 5, 2022 - 9:17 PM

The New England Patriots have filled the open spot on their 53-man roster, and they did so in unsurprising fashion. As was announced by the team on Wednesday, it has promoted offensive tackle Marcus Cannon from the practice squad.

The promotion comes three days after Cannon made his 2022 debut, playing 25 of a possible 58 offensive snaps in an overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers.

On Wednesday, head coach Bill Belichick briefly spoke about the veteran lineman.

“He’s been taking a lot of reps in practice, played some last week. So, let’s keep going and see how it goes,” Belichick told reporters. “Looks like he’ll be able to help us.”

Cannon being on the Patriots’ active roster is nothing new for him.

A fifth-round draft pick out of TCU, he was an 80-game starter for the team during his first stint in New England between 2011 and 2020. He was traded to the Houston Texans in 2021, but was let go again by the team the following offseason. After remaining unsigned for six months, the three-time Super Bowl champion rejoined the Patriots via their practice squad in mid-September.

Originally playing a depth role, Cannon is now the team’s No. 3 offensive tackle behind left-side starter Trent Brown and his right-side counterpart Isaiah Wynn. His promotion is coming only a few days after fellow tackle Yodny Cajuste was sent to injured reserve.

Besides promoting Cannon to the 53-man team, the Patriots also announced two other transactions.

The team also signed offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez to its practice squad. A rookie free agent out of Minot State, he started his NFL career with the Denver Broncos earlier this year. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound blocker was let go ahead of roster cutdowns and has remained on the open market ever since.

Before turning pro, Gutierrez appeared in 42 games with 35 starts during his four-year collegiate career. He originally joined the Beavers as a tight end in 2017 but made the move to the offensive line the following year.

Additionally, the Patriots also made the previously reported signing of quarterback Garrett Gilbert official. The 31-year-old was in town for a workout on Tuesday.

“He’s a smart kid and he picked things up before,” Belichick said about Gilbert on Wednesday. “He was here, he was out in Vegas with Josh [McDaniels]. Sure there are similarities.”

With Wednesday’s moves official, the Patriots have no open spots left on their active roster and practice squad.