Patriots Place Aaron Dobson on IR, Sign Safety Dewey McDonald

The New England Patriots announced Thursday that they have placed wide receiver Aaron Dobson on injured reserve. The team signed safety Dewey McDonald to fill Dobson's spot on the 53-man roster.

Dobson was a second-round pick out of Marshall in 2013 but has struggled to find his stride and hasn't really lived up to his billing. The 24-year-old had 13 receptions for 141 yards this season.

Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald indicated Dobson has a high-ankle sprain and reported the rationale for the Pats' decision to declare Dobson out for the rest of the season:   

This marks the second year in a row Dobson has gone to IR, which has impeded his development. During the 2014 campaign, he appeared in only four games before being shut down with a hamstring injury.

McDonald will presumably contribute on special teams if he indeed does play in Week 12's road game against the Denver Broncos.

Although the reigning Super Bowl champions are undefeated to date, their weapons on offense are dwindling to a severe degree. Already without star receiver Julian Edelman and running back Dion Lewis, New England quarterback Tom Brady has his work cut out for him to keep the Pats' elite offense operating smoothly.

Sunday presents a steep challenge in Denver, who boasts arguably the best secondary and overall defense in football. New England's thin receiving corps now features Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Keshawn Martin, typical special teams player Matthew Slater and undrafted rookie Chris Harper.

Martin and Amendola were limited participants in Thursday's practice, per the Pats' injury report. If they're unable to play against the Broncos, Brady and Co. are in real danger of being handed their first loss of 2015.