The Patriots were back to a full 53-man roster Tuesday, and they got there by circling back to a familiar face and adding a rookie linebacker.
New England re-signed interior offensive lineman Ben Brown just one day after releasing him, then brought in Erick Hunter to round out the active roster. Brown’s return comes after a turbulent stretch: he entered camp as the team’s top backup along the interior offensive line, suffered an injury in the preseason opener, and was later cut. Still, the Patriots moved quickly to bring him back.
Brown, 28, first arrived in New England in 2024 and has played in 31 games with 14 starts for the club. He also signed a two-year, $5 million extension last December. Before landing in Foxborough, the 6-foot-5, 313-pound lineman entered the league as a rookie free agent out of Mississippi in 2022, then spent time with the Bengals, Seahawks, Cardinals and Raiders.
Hunter gives the Patriots another young piece on defense. The 23-year-old joined the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Lions earlier this offseason after a college career at Morgan State, where he appeared in 45 games and made 39 starts. He finished second in school history with 298 total tackles and also piled up 10.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
The Patriots also kept building out their practice squad Tuesday. Offensive lineman Jake Kubas, defensive tackle Jalen Hunt, and linebackers K.J.
Britt and Jose Ramirez were added to the developmental group. With those moves included, New England now has 16 of its 17 practice-squad spots filled.
In Other News...
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Patriots Suddenly Have A Real Week 1 Backfield Concern
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Patriots Leave Key Practice Squad Spots Open For Familiar Names
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For a team always fine-tuning the back end of the roster, the open slots leave room for familiar faces and practical depth at spots where injuries can quickly force movement. New England already has help lined up at offensive line, wide receiver and running back, and a few more players are either working back from injury or expected to arrive soon, so the final version of the practice squad may still look a little different before long. [Read more 🡒]