Patriots claim injured ex-Panther Tyler Gaffney off waivers
The Patriots have stashed Tyler Gaffney for next season, much to the Panthers’ dismay.
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The Panthers attempted to put their 2014 sixth-round pick through waivers on Monday, only to have the lurking Patriots snag the running back. The Panthers were hoping that he would clear wavers, at which point they could put him on injured reserve.
Patriots claimed former Panthers rookie RB Tyler Gaffney on waivers today after Carolina tried to sneak him through waivers and into IR.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2014
Some perceive this sort of move as breaking the unwritten code. Tom Coughlin was frustrated after the Patriots claimed Jake Ballard off waivers, when Couglin was hoping to put the tight end on the IR. Rules are rules, and the Patriots are following them to a T. The Panthers lost Gaffney and the $96,600 signing bonus they paid him. New England can save him on the IR and pay him his base salary.
Gaffney is scheduled to undergo surgery after suffering a season-ending injury to his knee. The former Stanford Cardinal standout rushed for 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns during his time with Stanford. Had he not spent a season pursuing a career in baseball, he may produced even larger numbers.
While it would be too crowded of a backfield for Gaffney to join at this training camp, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen will be free agents in 2015. The Patriots may let one or both players go. At which point, carries may be easier to come by. Gaffney could be a sleeper heading into camp in 2015.