The Patriots’ roster trim after the 53-man deadline left a little bit of everything: familiar training camp names returning, a few promising holdovers finding other homes, and a handful of players still waiting to see what comes next.
New England wound up with a practice squad that is expected to be built mostly from summer familiar faces, which fits the way this roster cycle played out. The Patriots can carry 17 players on the practice squad during the season, and while the team has officially announced 16 of those moves, a source confirmed that rookie edge rusher Holmes is also headed back. He already had a locker set up in the locker room at practice Tuesday.
That group should be the backbone of the practice squad for most of the year. Haskins, Pharms, Vildor and Brown all give the Patriots veteran options for weekly elevations.
Linebacker K.J Britt, who made the initial 53-man roster before later getting released, has also been signed back to the practice squad. Defensive tackle Isaiah Iton and safety Eric Butler were waived with injury designations and have reverted to injured reserve.
Not everyone from camp made it back to Foxborough. Six players landed elsewhere, including some names that looked like strong candidates to return.
Bradyn Swinson, Amari Gainer and Marcellas Dial all moved on to other AFC teams, and those clubs just happen to be on the Patriots’ schedule this fall. Dial was claimed off waivers, one of seven claims the Dolphins submitted Monday.
Then there’s the rest of the cut list, where the Patriots let go of a number of players who hadn’t been signed elsewhere as of now. Jam Miller, Nick DeGennaro and Chad Muma were among the summer standouts who still didn’t survive the final squeeze.
That doesn’t necessarily close the door for good, either. The Patriots have gone back to this well before, including last year when they re-signed Jack Conley after initially not placing him on the practice squad.
Miller was reportedly cut with an injury designation and settlement, which means he will not revert to the team’s injured reserve the way Iton and Butler did. He is free to sign with any NFL team immediately. Palmer, meanwhile, has also drawn outside attention: the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders have added him to their negotiation list, giving them the option to sign him if they choose.
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Patriots May Regret This Backfield Decision Sooner Than Fans Think
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The more notable move was the addition of Corey Kiner, acquired in a trade with Arizona and placed on the active roster as the third running back. Larison had turned enough heads with his college production and preseason work to make the decision worth watching, and for now the Patriots are betting that Kiner is the safer choice while Larison waits just one step away from a call-up. [Read more 🡒]
Belichick Snub Forced A Hall Of Fame Change Patriots Fans Will Notice
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Under the new format, one non-committee member will handle all initial candidate presentations, and every player will now come from the same pool once the five-year retirement window has passed. It is a notable shift for a process that has long carried its own quirks, and for New England supporters it adds another layer to the conversation around how Belichicks place in football history is being evaluated. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Pass Rush Depth Problem Creates One Tempting Mistake
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One possible answer has already surfaced in a familiar kind of roster gamble, the sort that looks better in theory than in practice. Clelin Ferrell, who has bounced around multiple teams and was most recently on the Miami Dolphins practice squad, would be more of a depth dart than a real fix, and theres a reason the fit comes with skepticism. Even so, with the trade deadline still ahead, New England may have to decide whether to live with the current pass-rush mix or make a move that carries more upside than certainty. [Read more 🡒]