FOXBORO – The New England Patriots and the rest of the NFL have some tough decisions to make Tuesday as each team must trim its roster to 53 players before the league’s 4 p.m. deadline.
Patriots release Landers and Jones
Two more cuts, via Mark Daniels of MassLive.com: wide receiver Matt Landers and linebacker Kobe Jones.
The Pats signed Landers last week after JaQuae Jackson was placed on the injured list. Landers had a nice 34-yard pass against the Commanders in the final preseason game on Sunday night.
And with safety AJ Thomas also released (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald), the Patriots have eight more moves to make to expand their roster to 53 men.
Surprising move: Patriots release Kevin Harris
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, the Patriots released running back Kevin Harris, suggesting JaMycal Hasty has made the team.
Harris managed just 37 yards on his 12 rushing attempts in the preseason, although he did make a nice touchdown pass to Drake Mayes on Sunday night’s final game. Although the 2022 sixth-round pick never secured a permanent role in New England, his release on Tuesday still came as a surprise.
Hasty rushed for 34 yards on 11 carries during the tryout season, but he brings much more as a pass catcher. He caught six passes for 63 yards for the Patriots during the preseason, including a 23-yard catch-and-run from Maye against the Eagles.
According to Christopher Price of the Boston Globe, the Patriots are also waiving offensive lineman Liam Fornadel. The guard could possibly be signed to the practice squad.
Patriots waive Bailey Zappe
The Patriots only have three quarterbacks left in the squad, Bailey Zappe reportedly released by New EnglandWe will see if Zappe ends up on the team’s practice squad again, like last season when he was released before the regular season.
But that’s probably it for the “Zappe fever” in New England. With several teams looking for a replacement quarterback, the 25-year-old could make a fresh start somewhere else.
Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye and Joe Milton III currently make up New England’s roster at quarterback. The roster currently stands at 69 players, so the Pats have 13 more moves to make in the next five hours.
Patriots release Terrell Jennings
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reported three roster changes: running back Terrell Jennings and safety Joshue Bledsoe will be released, while defensive tackle Armon Watts will be released.
Jennings averaged 6.2 yards per carry in the preseason and the undrafted rookie from Florida A&M is a hot candidate for New England’s practice squad.
Watts signed a one-year contract in the offseason but fell behind players like Daniel Ekuale and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. He did not play in the final preseason game due to an injury.
Patriots waive tight end Mitchell Wilcox
The Pats are parting ways with Mitchell Wilcox and are reportedly giving up the tight end, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
While that’s not great for Wilcox, who has played for the Bengals for the past three seasons, it’s good news for Jaheim Bell, a sixth-round pick who has done everything he can to earn a spot on the roster with a solid training camp and preseason.
Kendrick Bourne begins the 2024 season on the PUP
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, receiver Kendrick Bourne will begin the year on the PUP list as he continues to play receiver despite a torn ACL he suffered last October.
Bourne only played in eight games last season, but was one of the team’s most productive receivers during that time. In his three seasons with the team, he was solid, catching 127 passes for 1,640 yards and 10 touchdowns in 41 games.
He can’t return until week 5.
Cole Strange starts 2024 season on PUP
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, Patriots guard Cole Strange will begin the season on the PUP list as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
This is no surprise, as Strange missed all of training camp due to the injury, which ended his 2023 season after 10 games. The team expects Strange to return in the 2024 season. He has started all 27 games he has played in for the Patriots since the team drafted him 29th overall in 2022.
Patriots release 14 players on Monday
The whole process began for New England on Monday when the Patriots released the following 14 players:
LS Tucker Addington
WR Kawaan Baker
EN William Bradley-King
DT Josiah Bronson
LB Steele Chambers
RB Deshaun Fenwick
CB Azizi Hearn
T Zuri Henry
EN Christian McCarroll
TE La’Michael Pettway
DT Sam Roberts
C Charles Turner
CB Mikey Victor
TE Jacob Warren
None of these cuts are very surprising, as each of these 14 players spent training camp on the roster bubble. Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo will have much tougher decisions to make Tuesday afternoon.
Names to keep an eye on include fourth-string quarterback Bailey ZappeSecond year recipient Kayshon Boutteand second-year kicker Chad Ryland. New England’s roster includes 76 players on Tuesday.
Other ways NFL teams can reach a 53-man roster
Teams will not only make cuts to reduce their roster to the required 53 players, players will also be placed on the injured list, and this year there is a new rule that allows teams to name two players on the injured list to return at the cut date. Those players will miss at least four games.
In recent years, a player had to be on a team’s original 53-man roster for one weekday to be considered for return.
Teams will also use the PUP list, as players remaining on the PUP list will not count toward the 53-man roster, but will not be allowed to return to play until Week 5 of the regular season.
Exemption procedure begins on Wednesday
The league will begin processing waiver requests starting at noon Wednesday. The Patriots are third in the waiver request order and Mayo expects the team to have a lot to do once the process gets underway. He made it clear that the team will be scouring the waiver list for offensive line support.
“I would also say looking out the windshield, we have an opportunity to improve our team through the waiver list. We’re in a very unique situation right now because we’re third on the waiver list and we’re having some good players released by their team. We’re going to try to take advantage of that,” Mayo said during his Monday morning appearance on WEEI.
“The starting guard or starting tackle may not be on our team today, but we will see who we can sign in the next few days,” Mayo added.
