Brandon Tate

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff DETROIT - Good evening from Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, where the Patriots will be hitting the field tonight for their third exhibition game. Like we posted last night, several players who returned to practice this week are not expected to play. Those players include DT Albert Haynesworth, DE Shaun Ellis, receiver Brandon Tate, cornerback Ras-I Dowling and running back Shane Vereen. Safety James Sanders is expected to play.

Evaluating an NFL team's draft performance is almost an impossible task. How do you measure it? You could count the amount of starters each team has drafted. If you throw out 2011 - it's too soon to look at that class - and view the results from 2007-10, the Raiders, Panthers, and Colts are among the leaders in draftees who started. Anybody want to give those downtrodden teams any draft awards? If you look at drafted players that emerged as starters or backups, the Panthers, Colts, and Rams lead.

The New England Patriots have cut two-time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather as they trimmed their roster to the limit of 53 on Saturday. Also released were running back Sammy Morris, a 12-year veteran, and wide receiver Brandon Tate. The Patriots released 15 players in all. Running back Kevin Faulk, and defensive linemen Ron Brace and Brandon Deaderick were placed on the reserve-physically unable to perform list. Fifth-round draft pick Marcus Cannon was placed on the reserve non-football injury list.

Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots have rarely targeted wide receivers in the NFL draft, taking just nine since 2002 and none before the third round since 2006. Examine the receivers drafted since 2002: 2002: Deion Branch, 2d/65: Eighth on franchise list for receptions(312) and wasMVP of Super Bowl XXXIX. 2002: David Givens, 7th/253: Had three productive years with Patriots before injuries ended his career at age 26. 2003: Bethel Johnson, 2d/45: Speedster was an effective return man but never developed into a reliable WR. 2004: P.K. Sam, 5th/164: New England was the...

The Cincinnati Bengals acquired three players off waivers, and while waived three players. The Bengals acquired center Mike McGlynn on waivers from Philadelphia. McGlynn is a fourth-year NFL player and also has played guard. The team also picked up tight end Mickey Shuler on waivers from Miami. Shuler is a second-year NFL player. Finally, the Bengals acquired wide receiver Brandon Tate on waivers from New England. Tate is a third-year player. Additionally, the Bengals waived three players — tight end Chase Coffman, wide receiver Quan Cosby and center Reggie Stephens.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe staff DETROIT - The debut of several players in a Patriots uniform is expected to be delayed. While not entirely ruled out, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, end Shaun Ellis, receiver Brandon Tate and the two second-round picks, cornerback Ras-I Dowling and running back Shane Vereen, are doubtful to play against the Detroit Lions tomorrow night, according to a league source. Safety James Sanders is questionable, but has a decent shot at seeing his first action of the exhibition season.

Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots have rarely targeted wide receivers in the NFL draft, taking just nine since 2002 and none before the third round since 2006. Examine the receivers drafted since 2002: 2002: Deion Branch, 2d/65: Eighth on franchise list for receptions(312) and wasMVP of Super Bowl XXXIX. 2002: David Givens, 7th/253: Had three productive years with Patriots before injuries ended his career at age 26. 2003: Bethel Johnson, 2d/45: Speedster was an effective return man but never developed into a reliable WR. 2004: P.K. Sam,...

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff This is by no means the opening-day, or final 53-man roster. Not with just 23 players on offense and 27 on defense. The Patriots are very thin at tight end and at guard/center. They need another one of each in waivers and free agent signings. When they make those moves, who would be out? Here's where the roster currently stands: Thoughts : The Patriots are way too light at tight end (two)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Calling all veteran Patsologists, calling all veteran Patsologists. In all your 50 years of Pats watching, have you ever seen anything like this? I’ve only been watching them on and off since 1964, and I sure haven’t. If anything, last night’s was the kind of game we’d have expected one of those funky Patriots teams from the 1970s or ’80s to lose, especially on the road. A 103-yard Brandon Tate kickoff return? A Patrick Chung blocked punt setting up a touchdown and a Patrick Chung blocked field goal attempt returned...

Evaluating an NFL team's draft performance is almost an impossible task. How do you measure it? You could count the amount of starters each team has drafted. If you throw out 2011 - it's too soon to look at that class - and view the results from 2007-10, the Raiders, Panthers, and Colts are among the leaders in draftees who started. Anybody want to give those downtrodden teams any draft awards? If you look at drafted players that emerged as starters or backups, the Panthers, Colts, and Rams lead.

There are 29 teams in the NFL with a kickoff-return average better than the Patriots'. Coach Bill Belichick doesn't like the way the return unit is performing - it is averaging 20.8 yards - and he has shuffled a few players into the returner role. "Our return game is not producing to the level that we would like it to be at," Belichick said. "It's not reflective of any one individual - that's everybody. "We're not getting enough out of that. We've been productive there in the past.

The Patriots offensive line gained a little depth yesterday with the addition of veteran guard Brian Waters , who played 11 seasons with the Chiefs. Waters signed a two-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, according to a league source. Waters, who is 6 feet 3 inches and 320 pounds, arrives at the right time for the Patriots, who are looking for options on a line struggling with injuries. Ryan Wendell was out most of the preseason with an injury and Dan Connolly hurt his ankle in the third preseason game.

The Cincinnati Bengals acquired three players off waivers, and while waived three players. The Bengals acquired center Mike McGlynn on waivers from Philadelphia. McGlynn is a fourth-year NFL player and also has played guard. The team also picked up tight end Mickey Shuler on waivers from Miami. Shuler is a second-year NFL player. Finally, the Bengals acquired wide receiver Brandon Tate on waivers from New England. Tate is a third-year player. Additionally, the Bengals waived three players — tight end Chase Coffman, wide receiver Quan Cosby and...

The New England Patriots have cut two-time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather as they trimmed their roster to the limit of 53 on Saturday. Also released were running back Sammy Morris, a 12-year veteran, and wide receiver Brandon Tate. The Patriots released 15 players in all. Running back Kevin Faulk, and defensive linemen Ron Brace and Brandon Deaderick were placed on the reserve-physically unable to perform list. Fifth-round draft pick Marcus Cannon was placed on the reserve non-football injury list.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff This is by no means the opening-day, or final 53-man roster. Not with just 23 players on offense and 27 on defense. The Patriots are very thin at tight end and at guard/center. They need another one of each in waivers and free agent signings. When they make those moves, who would be out? Here's where the roster currently stands: Thoughts : The Patriots are way too light at tight end (two)

FOXBOROUGH - The next two days won't be easy on the nerves. Not with the NFL's mandatory trim-down to a 53-man roster looming tomorrow. Not if you're Matthew Slater and you've spent the entire preseason building your résumé. Not if you're Brandon Tate and you've only had two games to plead your case. It will be stressful just counting the circumstances. Maybe the Patriots will decide they need just six wide receivers, in which case they could spare either Slater or Tate. Maybe they could hold seven on the roster - a lot - and they could both hang around.

The Patriots offensive line gained a little depth yesterday with the addition of veteran guard Brian Waters , who played 11 seasons with the Chiefs. Waters signed a two-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, according to a league source. Waters, who is 6 feet 3 inches and 320 pounds, arrives at the right time for the Patriots, who are looking for options on a line struggling with injuries. Ryan Wendell was out most of the preseason with an injury and Dan Connolly hurt his ankle in the third preseason game.

FOXBOROUGH — You know Brandon Tate as the speedy kickoff returner for the Patriots. On Sunday, many will be getting to know Tate from a different perspective. On special teams, he attracts attention as he zips through lanes on kick returns. However, as a wide receiver, Tate has been in the shadows. With Randy Moss in Minnesota, there are plenty of guesses about how Tate will fit in with the Patriots’ offense. In the flood of analysis after the Moss trade last week, Tate’s name floated to the top of the speculation heap as the next-best deep threat for the Patriots.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff Just two changes since Saturday's version, and even those are very tentative. Here's what we have going into tonight's exhibition finale: Thoughts : For this version, we opted to keep RB Sammy Morris over third TE Will Yeatman . We did that because there's just too much unknown with the health of Shane Vereen , especially, and Stevan Ridley...