The Patriots’ roster purge was lighter than most cutdown days, but a few of the names that disappeared still stood out.
That’s what happens when the top of the depth chart is basically locked in before the preseason even gets rolling. New England barely used its starters in exhibition games, and with the roster already short on obvious surplus talent, the march to 53 players didn’t come with a ton of fireworks.
Still, there were some cuts that made people do a double take. A veteran cornerback, a lineman who had just landed an extension, and a handful of other players who looked like they had a real path onto the team were all left on the outside.
Here are five of the more surprising ones.
Kindle Vildor was the most experienced of the Patriots’ reserve corners, and he opened camp looking like one of the main contenders for a backup role. He and Charles Woods were New England’s top options behind the starters, and Vildor even picked off a pass in the preseason opener against Indianapolis.
But the overall picture at cornerback never really clarified itself. Vildor’s practice work was uneven, and with Christian Gonzalez missing from the secondary during the joint practices - especially against Indianapolis - the position stayed crowded without a clear separator. In the end, the Patriots chose to keep a pair of rookies, Channing Canada and Karon Prunty, and Vildor was the odd man out.
Ben Brown’s release was a tougher one to square on paper. He signed a contract extension with the Patriots last year, and he was in the mix at center, a spot where New England doesn’t have much depth. Brown also knew the system and had even filled in at guard when needed last season.
Then came the injury. Mike Vrabel said Brown was expected to miss several weeks after getting hurt in the preseason, and the Patriots decided not to wait it out.
They brought in veteran Greg Van Roten, while the rest of the reserve line is mostly made up of tackles. Interior offensive line remains a position that could still be addressed.
John Saunders Jr. had one of the better summer runs of any of the players who got cut. After spending last season on the practice squad, he took a real step forward and kept showing up in joint practices and preseason games. Kevin Byard said Saunders had created the most turnovers of any New England player during training camp.
Even with that momentum, the math at safety got tight fast. Byard and Craig Woodson sat at the top of the depth chart, and the Patriots kept only four safeties in all. They acquired Jaylen Reed, who started both playoff games for the Texans last year, in a trade, and kept Dell Pettus as the other backup, with special teams work likely part of his job description.
Jeremiah Pharms Jr. had already established himself as a useful depth piece over the last three seasons, appearing in 31 games for New England since arriving in 2022 after a stint with the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers. But his role shrank sharply last year, when he went from playing in 16 games in 2024 to just three in 2025.
Pharms also had one of the more unusual paths on the roster. He carved out an NFL role after playing collegiately at Friends University, which competes in the NAIA. Even so, the Patriots moved on.
Lan Larrison was part of a running back competition that never quite settled into place. New England traded for Corey Kiner on cutdown day to handle the third running back spot, and that move sent Larrison out along with Jam Miller and JaMychal Hasty.
Larrison did some things this summer that gave him a real chance. He caught passes out of the backfield and ran with effort, but the burst never quite jumped off the field. Among the backs battling for RB3, he looked like the closest one to grabbing the job - but the Patriots still opted to go outside the building and bring in another player.
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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 🡒]