As they so often do, the Patriots found some play-making talent in the bargain aisle after cutdowns this week.
The team is reportedly signing former Raiders draft pick and ex-Miami Dolphins receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. to the practice squad after he missed out on the Dolphins' 53-man roster, according to ESPN's Field Yates.
Bowden Jr. starred in college with Kentucky as a multi-purpose threat, catching 114 passes for 1,303 yards, rushing for 1,468 yards on 206 carries and even passing for 495 yards in three seasons. He totaled 22 touchdowns overall (19 from scrimmage, three through the air) and won the Paul Hornung Award -- gifted to the most versatile major college player in the country -- in his final college season. (Patriots' third-round rookie Marcus Jones is the most recent winner of the Hornung Award himself.)
But the dynamic weapon hasn't yet done much in the NFL, racking up just 211 receiving yards and 32 rushing yards during a COVID-affected rookie year in 2020 and spending 2021 on injured reserve. He was waived by the Dolphins on Tuesday.
The Patriots no doubt hope to tap into Bowden's multi-dimensional talents and could potentially view him as insurance for running back and receiver rooms that have suffered injuries to Ty Montgomery and Tyquan Thornton, respectively.
