Patriots Practice Squad is Full; Meet the Newest Signees

The New England Patriots practice squad is now complete. The team signed two players to the practice squad on Monday, bringing the total to 17, the league max. New England brought back familiar face Joe Giles-Harris. They also added Yvandy Rigby, who had been with the Baltimore Ravens in training camp.

Both signees play linebacker. New England kept seven linebackers on the initial 53-man roster. They added an eighth in Curtis Jacobs off waivers the following day. On the 17-man practice squad, the Patriots now have three linebackers: Ochaun Mathis, Giles-Harris, and Rigby. Jotham Russell is listed as a defensive end but lined up at outside linebacker throughout the preseason, which would make four. Sione Takitaki gives the Patriots a twelfth linebacker in the system, though he begins the season on the PUP list.

New England Patriots linebacker Sione Takitaki (16) steps on the field before an NFL football practice, Monday, May 20, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A look at Monday’s signings:

Joe Giles-Harris

Giles-Harris spent the 2023 season on the New England Patriots practice squad but did not appear in any games. He does have 17 games of NFL experience, playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-2020) and Buffalo Bills (2021-2022). He played collegiately at Duke, where he amassed 313 tackles in just three seasons.

Joe Giles-Harris was one of the standouts during the preseason slate for New England. He earned an 84.2 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus during the preseason. It was the fourth-highest grade among all NFL linebackers who played at least 100 snaps. Giles-Harris now returns for a second season in New England, with the potential to be a practice squad elevation if there are any injuries or lack of production from the active roster.

Joe Giles-Harris gets the @Patriots 2nd INT of the game. 🙌

📺: #NEvsTEN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/624TrfDUF6 pic.twitter.com/g7G52C48rP

— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2023

Yvandy Rigby

After a five-year career with the Temple Owls, Rigby went undrafted in 2024. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent and remained with the Ravens under final cuts. At Temple, he played alongside Jordan Magee, who was drafted in Round 5 by the Washington Commanders. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 236 pounds. Rigby ran a 4.62 40-yard dash at Temple’s Pro Day.

Excited and grateful. Let’s go!! @Ravens @Exclusive_SG @Temple_FB @EHTFB_Eagles pic.twitter.com/5rowBovBtZ

— Yvandy Rigby (@yvandyrigby131) April 28, 2024

Yvandy Rigby appeared in all three preseason games for Baltimore. He recorded 17 tackles and five stops. Pro Football Focus viewed his preseason performance unfavorably, giving Rigby a defensive grade of 29.9 over the three games. It was the lowest grade in the league among all linebackers who played at least 100 snaps. His grade was negatively affected by his coverage grade, as he allowed a 104.7 passer rating with him in coverage. Obviously, Eliot Wolf likes enough of what he saw to try and develop the linebacker further in Foxboro.

No Quarterbacks on Practice Squad

One position not addressed on the practice squad was quarterback. Several veteran QBs were thought to be solid candidates to sign with New England. This included C.J. Bethard, Desmond Ridder, and Nate Sudfield. But perhaps the most obvious candidate was P.J. Walker, who previously played for Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland and offensive assistant Ben McAdoo in Carolina. Walker also backed up New England quarterback Jacoby Brissett when the pair played for Indianapolis. However, as of now, only three quarterbacks (Brissett and rookies Drake Maye and Joe Milton III) are under contract with the New England Patriots.