Updated: Tuesday’s New England Patriots Transactions Toward 53

The New England Patriots began the day with 76 players remaining on their roster. By 4 p.m. EST, that number would need to be reduced to 53. Trades, releases, and injury designations are all ways to get to the magic number. As moves are known, they will be updated here.

A look at the transactions on the NFL’s Cutdown Day:

OG Cole Strange and WR Kendrick Bourne to begin the season on PUP

These moves were expected. Strange (torn patellar tendon) and Bourne (torn ACL) both saw their 2023 seasons cut short by serious injuries. Both continue to recover. Neither has participated in training camp, remaining on the PUP list throughout. The designation means they need to sit out at least the first four games of the season, though it could be longer. Sione Takitaki remained on PUP throughout camp as well, though no announcement on his status is known yet.

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

TE Mitchell Wilcox released

New England parted ways with the veteran tight end. He looked like he would push rookie Jaheim Bell for a roster spot early in camp but struggled as the preseason progressed. After releasing tight ends La’Michael Pettway and Jacob Warren yesterday, the Patriots are down to three tight ends remaining: Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Bell.

S Joshuah Bledsoe released

Bledsoe proved he is good enough to play in the NFL. Unfortunately for him, it became a numbers game at one of the New England Patriots’ deepest positions. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers are the starters. Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Pettus, A.J. Thomas, and Bledsoe all looked good in camp. Marte Mapu has been a non-participant but will take one of the 53 roster spots if health allows.

DL Armon Watts released

Eliot Wolf made Armon Watts one of his first free agent signings this offseason. But even after the loss of Christian Barmore, Watts failed to secure a spot on the roster. He fell behind Daniel Ekuale and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. on the depth chart. Watts walks away with $500,000 guaranteed from his one-year deal. He is a good bet to hook on with another NFL team.

RB Terrell Jennings released

The UDFA was impressive in camp. He led the Patriots with 74 rushing yards on 12 carries (6.2 yards-per-carry) in the preseason. New England bringing him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers is a solid bet. This leaves three undrafted rookie free agents remaining for now (Dell Pettus, David Wallis, and Jotham Russell).

QB Bailey Zappe released

Zappe ended the 2023 season as the New England Patriots starting quarterback. Over the offseason, he fell to fourth after the team signed Jacoby Brissett and drafted Drake Maye and Joe Milton III. Zappe finding a new NFL home is the most likely scenario here. The Patriots could bring him back to the practice squad, but he may opt for a fresh start elsewhere. New England will be in the market for a veteran practice squad QB. All eight quarterbacks with the team in 2023 are now gone: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorley, Malik Cunningham, Matt Corral, Ian Book, Will Grier, and Nathan Rourke.

WR Matt Landers released

Landers joined the Patriots last week after JaQuae Jackson was put on season-ending IR. He impressed in the preseason finale against Washington. He stands over 6-foot-4 and runs a sub-4.4 in the 40-yard dash. He’d be worth a practice squad spot to see if his athleticism and physical tools could help him develop into an NFL-caliber receiver.

OL Liam Fornadel released

New England signed Fornadel before the start of training camp. He played in the XFL and UFL before joining the Patriots. His versatility was attractive. He played guard primarily but had experience playing tackle in college. New England attempted to use him at center as well.

ED Kobe Jones released

Jones was released by his Canadian Football League team earlier this month. He signed with the Patriots last week, along with Christian McCarroll, who was released yesterday. New England needed depth for the final preseason game after trading Matthew Judon. Joshua Uche and Oshane Ximines were nursing injuries. It was a one-week audition for a potential practice squad spot down the road.

RB Kevin Harris released

This is the first move involving a player projected to make the 53-man roster (here at least). Harris scored on a nice catch and run on Sunday night. Last year New England only kept two running backs on the initial roster. This year they are down to three with Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and JaMycal Hasty all remaining as of now. Perhaps Harris playing special teams in the second half of the final preseason game should have been a clue that he remained on the bubble (he was called for holding on the kickoff return).

S A.J. Thomas released

Like Joshuah Bledsoe, Thomas played well but was a victim of numbers at a deep position. New England still has Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Marte Mapu, and Dell Pettus on the roster for now. Special teams player Brenden Schooler saw time at safety during camp as well and could play there in an emergency.

WR/RS David Wallis released

Wallis impressed as a return specialist throughout camp and preseason. His big-play potential was evident with every return. He showed flashes of former New England returner Gunner Olszewski. Wallis could return to the practice squad for New England. However, it would not be a surprise to see another NFL team claim him as a return specialist, with the potential to develop as a wide receiver.

PK Chad Ryland released

A year ago, Ryland was a fourth-round draft pick. New England opted to keep him on the 53-man roster and dealt reliable veteran Nick Folk to Tennessee for a seventh-round pick. With Ryland’s release, Joey Slye is officially the New England Patriots placekicker to start the 2024 season. It was a disappointing stint with the Patriots for a specialist they used a fourth-round pick to bring on board.

ED/ST Jotham Russell released

The Australian joined the New England Patriots via the International Player Pathway Program. He did not count against the Patriots 90-man offseason roster. Likewise, he would not count as a spot on their practice squad either. Barring him joining another team, it is a near-certainty that Russell will occupy a practice squad spot in New England via the IPPP.

OT Calvin Anderson released with an injury designation

Anderson battled both malaria and a heart contusion a year ago. This season he began training camp as the starting right tackle but was moved down the depth chart before the first preseason game. Anderson had an opportunity to make the roster as a swing tackle even if he was not going to start but faced health issues again in 2024. Christopher Price of The Boston Globe reported Anderson was being waived with an injury designation.

OT Kellen Diesch released

The Patriots continue narrowing down their offensive line options with the release of Diesch. This leaves (for now) Mike Onwenu, Chukwuma Okorafor, Caedan Wallace, and Vederian Lowe as tackle options still on the roster. MassLive’s Mark Daniels was the first with the report.

CB Shaun Wade released

This is the most surprising move the Patriots so far by my estimation. Wade spent his first three NFL seasons in New England (2021-2023). He appeared in 14 games last season with three starts and looked solid. At worst, he is an NFL-caliber reserve worthy of a roster spot. I believed New England would keep eight cornerbacks based on the unknown health status to both Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones. Marcellas Dial Jr. has not impressed in the preseason, but it was unlikely Eliot Wolf would cut the lone defensive player he drafted in 2024. Just the same, Wade’s release qualifies as a surprise. Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald was the first to report the news.

OL Atonio Mafi released

Mafi started five games for the Patriots in 2023, taking over at left guard following the injury to Cole Strange. He struggled and clearly failed to impress the new regime. Instead of fighting to keep his job with Strange out, the Patriots attempted to convert Mafi to center. He did not play there once in his rookie season or during his five years at UCLA. He had considerably more experience playing defense than center. After Mafi struggled with snapping, he moved back to guard, but it was too late for him to make a serious roster push.

LB Joe Giles-Harris released

Giles-Harris was one of the New England Patriots’ most impressive players during the preseason. He earned a top-three star in two of the three preseason games from Patriots Football now. His 84.2 grade from Pro Football Focus during the preseason was the fourth highest among all NFL linebackers who played at least 100 snaps. New England’s depth at the position made it a challenging group, especially if Sione Takitaki does not begin the season on PUP.

The New England Patriots now need to make three more roster moves to get down to their initial 53-man roster.