Coming out of their preseason finale and entering cutdown weekend, the New England Patriots had 91 players on their roster. Accordingly, they and their players were in for a few busy days: before Sunday’s roster cutdown deadline, they needed to make at least 38 moves to get below the 53-player threshold mandated by the NFL.
In actuality, they made 42. The first 19 of those moves happened on Saturday, as did one that actually added a player to the mix. The rest — a total of 22 additional transitions, as charted by our Patriots roster cuts tracker — took place on Sunday.
The full list, split in different categories for easier digestion, looks as follows.
Patriots players waivedPlayers with less than four years of accrued experience are subject to waivers. This means that the following 31 will first have to pass through the waiver wire, where they might get claimed by any NFL team, before entering the open market.
- RB Jam Miller (injured)
- RB Lan Larison
- WR Nick DeGennaro
- WR Kyle Dixon
- WR Cameron Dorner
- WR Tejhaun Palmer
- TE C.J. Dippre
- TE Jack Westover
- OT Jack Conley
- OT Lorenz Metz
- OL Mehki Butler
- OL Darrian Dalcourt
- OL Joseph Michalski
- OL JonDarius Morgan
- OL Jacob Rizy
- DT Eric Gregory
- DT Isaiah Iton
- DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
- DT Casey Rogers
- ED Amari Gainer
- ED Xavier Holmes
- ED Bradyn Swinson
- LB Chad Muma
- LB Riley Wilson
- CB Brandon Crossley
- CB Marcellas Dial Jr.
- CB Kobee Minor
- S Mike Brown
- S Eric Butler (injured)
- S Peter Manuma
- S John Saunders Jr.
The lion’s share of cuts made over the weekend were of the waiver variety. As noted above, all of the players listed here are now subject to being claimed by other clubs before they could potentially return to the Patriots practice squad or, in the case of Jam Miller and Eric Butler, revert to injured reserve.
As for the list itself, it mostly includes depth players whose odds of making the 53-man roster were slim to begin with. The few names worth pointing out include running backs Lan Larison and Jam Miller, who are candidates to return should they clear waivers, as well as linebacker Chad Muma. Safety John Saunders Jr. also looked like a roster-worthy player but ultimately was made obsolete due to the trade acquisition of Jaylen Reed.
Patriots players releasedThe following players were let go as vested veterans, meaning that the do not have to pass through waivers. They become free agents right away, meaning that they can sign with any team now.
- RB Hassan Haskins
- RB JaMycal Hasty
- OL James Hudson III
- ED Jesse Luketa
- CB Kindle Vildor
- P Matt Haack
The biggest surprise among the veterans being let go by the Patriots over the weekend was Kindle Vildor. The 2020 fifth-round draft choice, who joined the team in free agency this offseason, looked like a potential fifth cornerback at times during training camp. However, he ultimately was cut in favor of two rookies, Karon Prunty and Channing Canada.
Patriots players placed on reserve listsThe players listed here were all sent to reserve lists ahead of the roster cutdown deadline. All three of the names listed here are eligible to return.
- OT Marcus Bryant: IR-R
- ED Harold Landry III: PUP
- S Brenden Schooler: NFI
Marcus Bryant will open the season on injured reserve with a designation to return. He will have to sit out at least the first four weeks of the regular season, as will Harold Landry and Brenden Schooler, whose statuses on the physically unable to perform and non-football injury/illness lists were changed from “active” to “reserve” on Sunday.
Not on this list yet are the aforementioned Jam Miller and Eric Butler, who were waived with an injury designation over the weekend. They will revert to New England’s IR list once they make it through the waiver wire unclaimed.
Patriots players acquiredWhile roster cuts made up the vast majority of moves this weekend, the Patriots also brought in some talent through the trade market.
- RB Corey Kiner
- OL Walter Rouse
The Patriots sent a 2028 seventh-round draft pick to the Cardinals to acquire Corey Kiner and did a late-round pick exchange with the Vikings to bring in Walter Rouse. Both moves are of the low-cost variety and effectively allow the team to jump the waiver wire: instead of waiting for Kiner or Rouse to remain unclaimed until it is their turn at No. 31, the Patriots secured their rights via trade.
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