Patriots reportedly release center Nick Leverett after Ben Brown's impressive debut
FOXBORO -- The Patriots must really like new center Ben Brown. New England is reportedly releasing offensive lineman Nick Leverett, who started one game at center following David Andrews' season-ending injury.
ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report Leverett's release on Monday. Leverett -- whom the Patriots signed in the offseason and moved from guard to center over the summer -- appeared in five games for New England and started at center in Week 5 in place of the injured Andrews. But he didn't play Sunday after being limited all of last week with an ankle injury.
That left the Patriots scrambling to find a new center as they prepared for a Week 6 showdown with the Texans. They landed on Brown, who was signed off the Las Vegas practice squad last Wednesday. He practiced just twice with his new team before getting the start at center on Sunday, and the 26-year-old Brown turned in a pretty clean performance for New England.
Brown played every offensive snap and didn't allow a sack or a QB hit in the 41-21 Patriots loss against a tough Houston team. Like quarterback Drake Maye, Sunday was Brown's first career start in the NFL.
"I thought he did a great job," head coach Jerod Mayo said of Brown on his Monday morning appearance on WEEI. "To only be here for five days and go out and play like that was special."
The Patriots have two centers on their practice squad in Bryan Hudson and Sincere Haynesworth, and Mayo also said last week that the team will try left guard Cole Strange at center when he comes of the PUP list. But for now, the job belongs to Brown.
This just highlights the current state of the New England offensive line, with the team trotting out six different O-line groupings to begin the 2024 season. It will likely be a different group protecting Maye in Week 7 when the Patriots play the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, since left tackle Vederian Lowe left Sunday's game with an ankle injury.
Backup Zach Thomas took over for Lowe after his departure, and allowed two sacks. Overall, the New England offense line surrendered four sacks and eight QB hits to the Texans on Sunday.
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