In the summer of 2016, an undrafted rookie cornerback named Cre’von LeBlanc made a strong push for a Patriots roster spot. He wound up losing out to another UDFA, Jonathan Jones, who went on to become a key member of New England’s secondary.
Five years later, LeBlanc is back, signing with the Patriots on Tuesday. He’s only on the practice squad, but thanks to a poorly timed positive COVID test, he could have a role in Saturday night’s wild-card round matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
The same day the Patriots added LeBlanc, they placed starting corner Jalen Mills on the reserve/COVID-19 list, potentially rendering him unavailable for this weekend’s playoff game.