Former Offensive Lineman Believes Patriots Abused Injured Reserve Rules

Former Patriots offensive lineman Ross Tucker believes that coach Bill Belichick abused IR rules by allowing injured players to practice. By league rule, players on Injured Reserve cannot practice with the team.

Tucker talked with ESPN's NFL Live yesterday about what he wrote at SI.com last week.

Basically, the Patriots would put a player on IR, knowing it meant he couldn't play in a game or practice with the team for the remainder of the season. By skirting the rules and practicing him anyway, it allowed them to develop his skills during the year. A side benefit is that they were also able to give some of the older players less repetitions and, therefore, additional rest.

This item also came up during Matt Walsh's little chat last week with Roger Goodell.

Tucker (who played for five teams during his career) wrote that he asked Pats receiver Troy Brown about allowing IR players to practice -- to which he was told "everyone does it". Tucker contends that none of the other teams he'd play for (Redskins, Cowboys, Browns, Bills) ever let an IR player practice with the team during the season.

However, Tucker does say that he never saw or heard about any video tapes made by the team. Obviously there were tapes out there, but this goes back to the question of how those tapes were used by the organization.

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