Updated: Monday’s New England Patriots Transactions Toward 53

The New England Patriots need to reduce their 90-man offseason roster down to 53 by Tuesday (Aug. 27) at 4 PM ET. As moves become known, they will be updated here. There are eight known transactions so far:

LS Tucker Addington Released

New England brought Addington in to reduce Joe Cardona’s workload in the preseason. With final rosters due soon, the team would not carry two long snappers. It was only a matter of whether Cardona was healthy, or if he’d be one of this season’s surprise cuts. With Addington’s release, Cardona will remain the longest-tenured New England Patriots player, alongside David Andrews. Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald was the first to report the move.

CB Azizi Hearn Released

Hearn signed with New England last September and spent the remainder of the year on the practice squad. He did not appear in any NFL games. He impressed with his Week 1 performance in preseason against the Carolina Panthers, earning the highest grade of any Patriots cornerback. But he never showed enough to warrant a roster spot with a crowded cornerback room. He struggled on the preseason finale, being called for two pass interference penalties and getting beat for a touchdown on the Commanders’ final scoring drive. Doug Kyed was the first to report the move.

Also Read – Kelley: Final New England Patriots 53-Man Roster Projection

TE La’Michael Pettway Released

The former USFL star signed with the Patriots practice squad last season but did not appear in any games. He entered the offseason as the lone tight end signed for the 2024 season. But the team re-signed Hunter Henry, then added Austin Hooper and Mitchell Wilcox in free agency. The New England Patriots selected Jaheim Bell in Round 7 of the NFL Draft and added Jacob Warren as an undrafted rookie free agent afterward. These moves all made Pettway a likely release candidate. Doug Kyed was the first to report the move.

DL Sam Roberts Released

New England drafted Roberts in the sixth round (No. 200 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He appeared in 12 games over two seasons, recording seven tackles (three solo). Roberts impressed in preseason a year ago, earning a spot on the initial 53-man roster. However, he was unable to make enough of an impact in training camp this season to retain his spot. Doug Kyed was the first to report the transaction.

WR Kawaan Baker Released

Kawaan Baker signed a future contract with the New England Patriots on Feb. 6, 2023. He was with the team throughout the offseason. But even after the departures of veterans DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as an injury to Kendrick Bourne, Baker remained a longshot for a roster spot. He has two games of NFL experience with the 2021 New Orleans Saints. MassLive’s Mark Daniels was the first to report the move.

LB Steele Chambers Released

Chambers is a good athlete with a plethora of collegiate experience at Ohio State. He converted from running back to linebacker in college. After originally signing with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft, Chambers was claimed off waivers by New England after being let go by Detroit. He is a potential candidate to bring back to the practice squad. Mark Daniels was the first to report the move.

ED William Bradley-King Released

The edge defender signed with New England’s practice squad last season. He played in four NFL games for Washington in his first two years in the NFL (2021-2022) but did not see any action for New England last season. He played well late in training camp. Bradley-King registered three pressures and a quarterback hit in the preseason finale, but it wasn’t enough to make the 53-man roster. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 was the first to report the move.

RB Deshaun Fenwick Released

The New England Patriots signed Fenwick as an undrafted rookie free agent. They released him at the beginning of training camp but brought him back ten days later, on August 12. Fenwick appeared to be sixth on the depth chart at running back. Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, Kevin Harris, JaMycal Hasty, and Terrell Jennings remain as the team’s running backs for now, though more moves are likely to come there. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was the first to report the move.

Six More Released

The New England Patriots announced that 14 players were released on Monday. In addition to the eight mentioned above, there were six more announcements:

CB Mikey Victor Released

The undrafted rookie free agent impressed with his athleticism. Although Victor was not expected to make the 53-man roster, it is likely he is a priority player for the practice squad. With Azizi Hearn released earlier in the day, there are eight cornerbacks remaining on New England’s 53-man roster. All eight made the team on the final 53-man roster projection on Patriots Football Now.

DT Josiah Bronson Released

New England signed both Bronson and Mike Purcell after the blood clot diagnosis for Christian Barmore was known. They released Purcell last week and Bronson joined him on Monday. New England’s defensive line candidates are narrowing down with the release of Roberts and Bronson. While five players appear as locks from the unit, Trysten Hill and Armon Watts remain on the roster bubble.

OT Zuri Henry Released

The big tackle from UTEP joined the Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent this offseason. Like Chambers and Victor, it seems a practice squad spot could be in the cards for Henry.

ED Christian McCarroll Released

McCarroll signed with the New England Patriots just this past week. He was was the Indianapolis Colts for rookie minicamp but had not been in anyone’s camp since. His stay in New England lasted only six days. The Patriots likely needed edge depth just to get through the final preseason game, while also giving McCarroll a look for a potential practice squad spot down the road.

C Charles Turner III Released

With the inability of others to transition from guard to center for New England, Turner had an outside chance to make the roster as David Andrews’ backup. Based on Turner’s release, it appears Nick Leverett has locked down the second-unit center spot. If the LSU alum is not brought back to the practice squad, the Patriots need to consider bringing in a player to play the position from elsewhere. The depth behind Andrews remains a concern.

TE Jacob Warren Released

Warren was another rookie undrafted free agent signed by the New England Patriots this offseason. He had a chance to make a positive impression as others in the unit dealt with injuries throughout training camp. Unfortunately for Warren, he did not show enough to stick around for now, though once again a practice squad spot is a possibility. His release leaves the UDFA group in New England down to four: Terrell Jennings (RB), Dell Pettus (S), Jothan Russell (ED/ST), and David Wallis (WR/RS)