FOXBOROUGH — Two days after leaving the New England Patriots' win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on a cart, guard Mike Onwenu has been placed on injured reserve with a reported fractured right ankle. The move sidelines the 28-year-old for at least the next four games and could keep him out longer, possibly ending his season.
Head coach Mike Vrabel had signaled the short-term absence on Monday, saying, "I don't think he'll be available here in the short term," and adding, "I wouldn't anticipate him being out there here in the next few weeks." In a corresponding move Tuesday, the Patriots promoted punter Mitch Wishnowsky, 34, from the practice squad to the 53-man roster after he was standard-elevated for the first two games. With only one elevation remaining, New England had to make the move with regular punter Bryce Baringer still on injured reserve for at least two more games, and also signed tight end Tanner Conner to the practice squad.
When Onwenu exited in the late first quarter against Pittsburgh, veteran Greg Van Roten, 36, stepped in at right guard between center Jared Wilson and right tackle Morgan Moses. Vrabel assessed the debut Monday, saying, "I think he had a few plays that he'd like to have back, so would everybody," adding, "But I thought he had some positive plays. To go through an entire game, there are going to be some good ones, some bad ones and some that we have to eliminate. I think that he stepped in there, was ready to go." Van Roten is poised to remain in the lineup, leaving Ben Brown as the lone interior backup. First-round pick Caleb Lomu has shown inside/out versatility but has been "trying to predominantly practice, be there, be ready to go playing tackle," according to Vrabel, with other depth options including tackle/guard hybrid Walter Rouse and practice squadders Jake Kubas and Xavier Newman-Johnson.
Onwenu is in the final year of his contract after renegotiating in the offseason to sacrifice total compensation for more guarantees, and is now on track to hit the open market in six months. He joins seven others on injured reserve: RB Myles Montgomery (39 | season-ending), WR A.J. Brown (1), WR Jeremiah Webb (29 | season-ending), TE Julian Hill (80 | season-ending), OT Marcus Bryant (52), LB Khalil Jacobs (59) and P Bryce Baringer (17), with Montgomery, Webb and Hill done for the season barring settlements, similar to running backs Jam Miller and Terrell Jennings who were previously released with settlements. According to Miguel Benzan (@patscap), the sequence of moving Onwenu to IR, promoting Wishnowsky and signing Conner cost $955,555 in cap space, leaving New England with just under $6.5 million available and a combined $51.1 million in cap commitments currently on IR.