Patriots Shuffle Roster: Schooler Activated, Hollins and Gilliam Hit IR

The New England Patriots are doing some weekend roster gymnastics just in time for their Sunday clash with the Las Vegas Raiders.

According to Ian Rapoport, New England is activating safety Brenden Schooler to the 53-man roster. To make the math work, they are sending wide receiver Mack Hollins and fullback Reggie Gilliam to injured reserve.

"Ian Rapoport reported the roster moves on X."

Losing Hollins and Gilliam in one swoop is a blow to the gritty, unglamorous parts of the depth chart. Gilliam is the kind of old-school fullback who exists purely to run into linebackers on purpose, while Hollins brings veteran blocking and occasional deep-threat chaos to the receiver room.

The Patriots are coming off a tight 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills last week. You do not just replace rotational depth without feeling a slight pinch, especially when you are trying to build momentum off a hard-fought divisional win.

Hitting IR means Hollins and Gilliam are mandated to sit for at least four weeks. That is a full month of watching from the sidelines while the active roster tries to keep the ship afloat.

Schooler steps back into the mix to provide some much-needed juice, likely making his presence felt on special teams immediately. We will see how the new-look bottom of the roster holds up when the Raiders roll into Foxborough this weekend.