Patriots Sunday: Stephon Gilmore and Other Ex-Pats Transactions

The New England Patriots traded Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons last Wednesday. That was not the only transaction involving a former Patriots player over the past two weeks. Since the previous update of NFL transactions involving players who were once under contract in New England, there have been 15 former Patriots involvied in such moves. This includes one announced today.

A look at all transactions involving former New England Patriots players over the past two weeks:

Conor McDermott

The Los Angeles Rams signed McDermott on August 6 to increase their offensive tackle depth. Following the NFL Draft, New England released Conor McDermott on Aug. 29, 2024. The Patriots drafted McDermott in 2017 but he failed to make the team. He spent two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and parts of four seasons with the New York Jets before being waived and returning to New England. He started the final six games of the 2022 season for the Patriots at right tackle. McDermott appeared in six games last season, with five starts. It is unclear why the Patriots, thin at offensive tackle, opted not to bring him back for training camp this season. McDermott will fight for a spot on L.A.’s 53-man roster.

Ronnie Perkins

New England drafted Ronnie Perkins in the third round (No. 96 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. However, Perkins never appeared in an NFL game with the New England Patriots. He was inactive for the first 13 games of the season before landing on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. The Patriots placed him on season-ending IR before the 2022 season began with an ankle injury. Perkins impressed in the final preseason game of 2023 but it was too little too late for the third-year edge defender. New England released him as part of their final cuts. He signed with the Denver Broncos practice squad and was eventually elevated to their 53-man roster, appearing in seven games. He recorded 13 tackles (nine solo), including two for a loss. Denver released Perkins on August 7 with an injury designation. After he went unclaimed, the Broncos resigned Perkins the next day and placed him on IR.

Ke’Shaun Vaughn

The Patriots released Vaughn on May 13, 2024, after signing a group of undrafted free agents following rookie minicamp. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Ke’Shaun Vaughn in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He stayed with Tampa Bay until his release on Dec. 15, 2023. New England signed Vaughn to their practice squad for the remainder of the season. He was signed to a future contract after the season but was released before getting to compete in camp. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers on August 7.

Chasen Hines

Hines was drafted in the sixth round (No. 210 overall) by the New England Patriots in the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent training camp on the non-football injury list. He did not appear in any games before being played on injured reserve Oct. 29, 2022. The Patriots cut Hines as part of their final cuts in 2023. He signed with the Miami Dolphins practice squad two days later and spent the 2023 season there. Miami waived him on August 7 to make room to sign wide receiver Mike Harley Jr. Hines re-signed with the Dolphins on August 10.

Ryan Johnson

Johnson signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent earlier this offseason. He was invited to rookie minicamp, and participated in OTAs, but was released on June 19 to make room for Liam Fornadel. Johnson possesses good size at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds. He played guard in college but appeared to have enough versatility to line up across the offensive line. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 8.

Cordarelle Patterson

The veteran return specialist signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. On August 9, the Steelers activated Patterson from the non-football injury list. He had yet to participate in training camp while rehabbing an offseason hamstring injury. Patterson enters his twelfth NFL season in 2024. He spent the 2017 season with the New England Patriots. In addition to New England, he has spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, and Atlanta Falcons. He is a four-time first-team All-Pro selection.

Nathan Rourke

Rouke was prominently featured in the last update of former New England Patriots transactions, having been waived by the New York Giants and signing with the Atlanta Falcons. On August 11 the Falcons parted ways with Rourke to sign QB John Paddock.

Demiere Byrd

Byrd enters his ninth season in the NFL. He began his career playing for the Carolina Panthers (2016-2018) and Arizona Cardinals (2019) before signing with the New England Patriots in 2020. He spent one season with the Patriots, appearing in all 16 games. The wide receiver finished the season with 47 receptions for 604 yards and a touchdown. He has since had stops with the Chicago Bears (2021) and Atlanta Falcons (2022-2023). He signed with the Buffalo Bills on August 13.

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Trace McSorley

The New England Patriots had former Penn State and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Trace McSorley in training camp a year ago. He was behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe on the depth chart, apparently fighting with UDFA Malike Cunningham for the third spot. However, the Patriots kept only one quarterback (Jones) when they trimmed down to a 53-man roster. They brought back Zappe and Cunningham to the practice squad. He spent 2023 on the practice squads of the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. He signed with the Washington Commanders on August 14.

T.J. Luther

New England signed Luther to their practice squad after the rookie UDFA was waived by the New York Jets at the end of training camp a year ago. He was released on October 18 but brought back on November 7. Luther did not appear in any games for the Patriots last season. New England released Luther on June 6, 2024, to make room on the roster for JaQuae Jackson. He signed with the Steelers on August 14. “It’s a blessing,” said Luther about his newest opportunity.

Derek Rivers

The New England Patriots did not have a first or second-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. That made Derek Rivers their first pick that year. Unfortunately, Rivers could not stay healthy. He appeared in six games as a rookie. He suffered a season-ending injury in the second preseason game of 2019, placing him on season-ending injured reserve. After COVID forced him to miss time in 2020, Rivers eventually got released on Nov. 21, 2020. Rivers joined the Los Angeles Rams for the rest of the 2020 season. He signed with the Houston Texans in 2021, appearing in five games. He missed the entire 2022 season with a torn biceps injury. The Texans signed him to their practice squad for 2023 but released him before he appeared in any games that season. He finished the season on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. The Colts signed him to their 90-man roster on August 14.

Jalen Mills

The veteran defensive back played the past three years for the Patriots after beginning his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career as a cornerback but played exclusively as a safety last season, even after New England’s cornerback depth was depleted. He left New England this offseason to sign a one-year contract with the New York Giants in free agency. New York released Mills on August 15.

Jakob Johnson

Johnson became the first player from the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) to play in a game, making his debut in 2019. He spent three seasons in New England before spending the last two with the Las Vegas Raiders. He stated when he left New England that he was told his position (fullback) was no longer going to be a part of the Patriots offense. To date, that has remained the case. Johnson signed with the New York Giants on August 16.

Matt Corral

Corral’s time in New England could best be described as bizarre. He signed with the team before the season opener but went AWOL for two days and couldn’t be found by the team. New England placed him on the seldom-used “Exempts/Left Squad” list. Considering the Patriots had only kept Jones at quarterback on their initial 53-man roster, it seemed a lost opportunity for Corral to fight Bailey Zappe for the backup spot. It was announced he would sign with the Patriots practice squad after being released but that did not happen either. He signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL this past season. Following the season-ending injury to Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota signed Corral on August 16.

Stephon Gilmore

Gilmore helped the New England Patriots win Super Bowl 53. He followed that up by winning the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. He received first-team All-Pro honors following both seasons. After four seasons in New England, the Patriots traded Gilmore to Carolina before the 2021 season. He spent one season each with the Panthers (2021), Colts (2022), and Cowboys (2023) since parting ways with the Patriots. NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport reported this morning (August 18) that Gilmore and the Minnesota Vikings have agreed on a one-year $10 million deal.