The Patriots’ defensive backfield already looks loaded, but there’s still room for a summer surprise if one of the unproven safeties can force his way into the picture.
New England has plenty to like on the back end. At cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones give the team one of the league’s best trios. At safety, Kevin Byard arrives as a three-time All-Pro and the 2025 interceptions leader, while Craig Woodson is back for his second season after a strong rookie year.
Even with Jaylinn Hawkins gone in free agency, the safety group still looks solid on paper. The question is what comes after the top names.
Dell Pettus has spent the last two seasons as an emergency option and core special-teamer, so a release there would be a real shock. Mike Brown, meanwhile, has drawn attention as a low-key addition because of his size and his ties to Mike Vrabel.
That leaves the depth chart with some openings, and that’s where Peter Manuma enters the conversation.
Tryout players rarely turn minicamp invitations into real roster chances. The Patriots brought in a large group this spring, mixing draft picks, undrafted rookies, and tryout players.
Most of those tryout spots go nowhere. Last year, New England had 14 tryout players, signed six, and only Mekhi Butler spent any meaningful time on the practice squad, while Isaiah Iton ended up on IR.
The Patriots did manage to find two signings from a smaller group of 17 tryout players: Hawai'i safety Manuma and former James Madison edge defender Xavier Holmes.
Manuma wasn’t signed immediately, but that doesn’t close the door on him. He played 792 snaps for the Rainbow Warriors last season, lining up in the box 48% of the time and at free safety 39.5% of the time. He also brought value on special teams, logging 376 snaps over four seasons, including 106 in 2025.
That matters in New England, where the Patriots lost more than 1,000 special teams snaps with the departures of linebackers Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai, and Marte Mapu. They also lost another 208 snaps with Alex Austin and Miles Battle leaving, and if Jack Westover is replaced as the fullback, that would take away another 237 snaps.
If the Patriots think Manuma can help at safety, his special teams work gives him a real path to stick. The team has seen that formula work before. Patrick Chung came up as a special teams contributor, and Chung and Manuma have 40-yard dash times within 0.02s of each other and are in the same weight class.
Chung also played a key role as a personal protector on punts early in his career, including an audible on a failed fake punt in the 2011 Divisional Round that ended with the Jets beating the Patriots 28-21. The hope would be for Manuma to carve out a much cleaner version of that kind of role, then grow from there.
Among New England’s undrafted additions, Tanner Arkin may have the best shot because of his especially high signing bonus. The Patriots also added receivers Kyle Dixon and Cameron Dorner, versatile offensive lineman Jacob Rizy, whom ESPN’s Mike Reiss pegged as a potential Rob Ninkovich-esque breakout player, and defensive tackle David Blay Jr., who won the National Championship with the Miami Hurricanes last year.
Manuma still stands out as the kind of longshot who could make noise if the summer goes right. He’s a captain, a team defensive MVP, and a player with the speed and special teams profile to make a real push for the final 53.
In Other News...
Patriots Just Took Another Painful Hit To Their Pass Rush
New Englands pass rush took another hit this offseason when KLavon Chaisson moved on after a strong 2025 campaign in Foxborough. The edge rusher gave the Patriots real production, finishing with 7.5 sacks in 16 games and ranking among their most disruptive defenders, which made his departure a notable loss for a defense that has been trying to build more consistent pressure off the edge.
The Patriots have tried to answer that by bringing in DreMont Jones, and there has at least been some early optimism from his spring work. Still, Chaissons exit leaves a familiar question hanging over this group: whether New England has done enough to replace the kind of pass-rush impact it just watched walk out the door. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Added A New Tight End Fans Will Recognize
Jeremiah Franklin is getting another look with the Patriots just before training camp, and it comes with a familiar feel for fans who followed him at Boston College. The undrafted tight end first surfaced in New England after rookie minicamp, then waited nearly three more months before the team brought him back on a free-agent deal, a sign the staff wanted more time before deciding he was worth a roster spot.
Franklin arrives with some local familiarity and a solid college rsum, having finished his Boston College career with 93 catches, 1,010 yards and six touchdowns. The next question is how much he can separate himself in a tight end room that needs bodies and competition, especially with the team still sorting through what it wants from the position as camp gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel's Latest Patriots Press Conference Left Fans Rolling Their Eyes
With training camp getting closer, Mike Vrabel made his latest Patriots press conference a little less ordinary by showing up with a German Shepherd puppy named BB, decked out in a Patriots jersey. The scene was meant to be light, but it also came at a time when every move around the new head coach is getting extra attention, especially with New England trying to settle into a new era under him.
Vrabel is still the man in charge as camp approaches, even as the noise around him has not fully gone away. There have been questions swirling beyond the football field, and the optics of a puppy-filled media session only added another layer to a situation that already has fans watching closely for how the Patriots handle the next stretch of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]