When the Patriots and Jaguars meet at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, the connections go well beyond Doug Marrone. Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, four players on the field or in the fold have spent time in both locker rooms during their NFL careers.
For Jacksonville, the most familiar face is Jakobi Meyers. The receiver’s path started in New England as an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina State in 2019, and he quickly became a fixture there.
Over 60 games and 39 starts with the Patriots, Meyers piled up 235 catches for 2,758 yards and eight touchdowns. He also threw a pair of touchdown passes, won the team’s Ed Block Courage Award and led the Patriots in receiving yards in three straight seasons.
Meyers left Foxborough for the Raiders as an unrestricted free agent in 2023, then was traded to the AFC South last November for the No. 117 and No. 182 picks in the 2026 draft. The move was followed by a three-year, $60 million extension, and he became the Jaguars’ eventual team captain.
Since leaving the Patriots, the 29-year-old has added 236 receptions for 2,737 yards and 16 touchdowns in 49 games and 46 starts. He’s also scored three more times as a runner and passer.
Jacksonville also has Jahlani Tavai, who spent five seasons with the Patriots before being released ahead of the new league year. The 29-year-old linebacker had been under contract through 2027 after signing an extension with a $16 million base value.
He first arrived in New England on the practice squad in 2021 after being waived by the Lions, and went on to play in 76 games with 51 starts. A University of Hawaii product and the No. 43 pick in the 2019 draft, Tavai logged 350 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles for the Patriots, along with 2,606 defensive snaps and 1,293 on special teams.
He also earned New England’s Ed Block Courage Award on the way to Super Bowl LX. Tavai signed with the Jaguars during training camp in August and has four tackles so far on the active roster.
On New England’s side, Chandler Brayboy is the newest name in the mix. The Patriots added the 25-year-old wide receiver to the practice squad after a workout in mid-September, but Jacksonville was his first NFL stop.
The Jaguars signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2025, kept him on the practice squad through his rookie season, then brought him back on a futures contract in January before waiving him at the August cutdown deadline. Brayboy arrived at the pro level after a decorated college run that included FCS All-American honors, CAA Special Teams Player of the Year recognition and a stint as Elon’s team captain.
Over 55 games since 2019, he totaled 2,660 receiving yards, 245 rushing yards, 1,568 kickoff return yards and 22 all-purpose touchdowns.
Greg Van Roten is the veteran link on New England’s roster. The Patriots first hosted him for a visit in early August, then brought him back on a one-year deal after injuries thinned the offensive line in the preseason opener.
The 36-year-old stepped into the right guard spot last week after Mike Onwenu was carted off with a broken ankle. Van Roten has played in 146 games with 105 starts since entering the league as an undrafted rookie in 2012, and he’s been with nine NFL teams.
Jacksonville was one of them: he joined the Jaguars in the 2017 offseason after a run with the Toronto Argonauts, but was cut during organized team activities before playing a snap. His career now includes 6,938 offensive downs, with ironman seasons in 2024 and 2025.
In Other News...
Patriots Added A Little-Known Receiver Fans Will Want To Root For
The Patriots quietly added a player to their practice squad who brings a little more than just another receiver body to the room. Brayboy, 25, comes to New England after growing up tied closely to his Lumbee Tribe roots in North Carolina, a connection that has been central to his identity well before football ever offered him a professional path.
His road also gives the move some extra intrigue for Patriots fans looking for someone new to pull for. At Elon University, Brayboy balanced football with a demanding academic load in exercise science and nursing, a mix that speaks to the kind of work ethic teams always say they value. Now he gets a chance to settle in with New England and see whether the practice squad can become a longer look. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A Week 3 Problem They Cant Ignore
Wednesdays practice brought an early reminder that the Patriots are still managing their way through September attrition. Craig Woodson and DreMont Jones both sat out with shoulder injuries as New England began its workweek for a Week 3 matchup with the Jaguars, while the team also shuffled its defensive depth by promoting edge rusher Jose Ramirez from the practice squad to the active roster and bringing linebacker Benton Whitley onto the practice squad.
There was some relief elsewhere on the report, with several players limited and Carlton Davis and Brenden Schooler back on the field. Even so, the absences of Woodson and Jones put a little more pressure on a defense that is already having to stay flexible, and the Patriots will be watching closely as the week moves forward to see whether either player can get back into the mix in time. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Have A Real Shot If One Thing Finally Shows Up
The Patriots are being mentioned in the same breath as a few other Week 3 upset candidates because the setup around them looks more favorable than it did earlier in the season. This is the kind of spot where early record and outside perception matter less than whether a team can cash in on the chances in front of it, and New England at least has a case if the game tilts toward the kind of low-scoring, tense fight that turns predictions on their head.
What makes the conversation interesting is not just the opponent, but whether the Patriots can finally get a key element of their game to show up when it matters most. Week-to-week upset picks often come down to execution in one area, and for New England the question is whether that piece is strong enough to travel on the road and keep the game close long enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]