After the Las Vegas Raiders came through Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots brought in two more bodies of their own.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Patriots worked out defensive end Diego Paz Gonzalez and defensive back Dontae Manning on Monday.
Gonzalez is 23 and part of the NFL International Player Pathway. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound edge rusher was born in Galicia, Spain, and was named the American Football League Europe’s Most Improved Defensive Player Player of the Year in 2026. With Germany’s Rhein Fire, he put up 48 tackles, nine sacks, four pass breakups and one interception returned for a touchdown from the regular season through the postseason.
Manning, 25, entered the league with the Atlanta Falcons in 2025 as an undrafted free agent. The Oregon cornerback, listed at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, cleared waivers after rookie camp and then landed on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad when it was formed. Chicago kept him on a futures contract in January before he was cut in August, and his 2026 preseason ended with 11 tackles across 121 snaps on defense and special teams.
The Patriots have an opening on both the 53-man roster and the 17-man practice squad, and they’re still sorting through a busy stretch of roster movement.
That weekend shuffle included safety Brenden Schooler coming off the non-football injury list, cornerback Kindle Vildor being promoted, and fullback Reggie Gilliam and wide receiver Mack Hollins going to injured reserve.
Linebacker K.J. Britt and safety Elliott Davison also returned to the practice squad after being standard elevations for the 45-17 win in Foxborough.
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