New England Patriots
Eliot Wolf Has Released 54 Patriots; Where Are They Now?
The New England Patriots and Bill Belichick “parted ways” on Jan. 11, 2024. It ended a 24-year relationship that brought unprecedented success to the franchise. New England soon named Jerod Mayo to replace Belichick as the team’s head coach. Executive Eliot Wolf acted as the de facto general manager for the Patriots until officially being named executive vice president of football operations on May 11.
In just over eight months, Wolf has overseen a large turnover on the roster. The 2024 roster features nearly a 50-50 split between Belichick and Wolf players. But for all of the new faces in Foxboro this season, many had to say goodbye to get down the roster limits. Some were on the Patriots when they won Super Bowls. Others had only a cup of coffee with the team this summer.
In all, Eliot Wolf released 53 players since taking over his current role. Several players were released with an injury designation. Those who returned to New England’s IR list (Tyrone Wheatley Jr., Armon Watts) are not included here. Those who did not return are included below.
Also Read – Dan Kelley: Eliot Wolf in Enviable Situation With the Patriots
A look at where the Patriots players released under Eliot Wolf’s watch are now:
Patriots Practice Squad (12)
Twelve players stayed with the New England Patriots after being let go. They occupy spots on the team’s practice squad. Only five of the 17 practice spot spots belong to players who were not with the Patriots before the final cutdown. Two from this group played in Week 1 for New England.
RB Kevin Harris
WR Matt Landers
WR Jalen Reagor
DL Trysten Hill
DB A.J. Thomas
Other NFL Rosters (3)
Three players released by Wolf made the initial 53-man roster for other NFL teams.
WR JuJu Smith Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs
OL Conor McDermott, Los Angeles Rams (IR)
LB Chris Board, Baltimore Ravens
On Other NFL Practice Squads (9)
Some veterans looked for a fresh start elsewhere. Others simply needed to find work. Either way, nine departed New England Patriots are now on the practice squads of other NFL franchises.
QB Bailey Zappe, Kansas City Chiefs
RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, San Francisco 49ers
OL Atonio Mafi, Indianapolis Colts
OL Andrew Stueber, Atlanta Falcons
WR T.J. Luther, Green Bay Packers
DL William Bradley-King, Miami Dolphins
DL Sam Roberts, Chicago Bears
CB Azizi Hearn, Carolina Panthers
CB Shaun Wade, Los Angeles Chargers
Canadian Football League (1)
A return home for Canada’s native son after bouncing around NFL teams during the offseason.
QB Nathan Rourke, BC Lions
Nathan Rourke connects with Ayden Eberhardt for the TD to extend the lead for the Lions! 🦁 #CFL | #CFLGameDay
— TSN EDGE (@TSN_Edge) September 7, 2024
Retired (1)
Unsigned NFL Veterans (14)
This group includes two players who won Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. It includes a few players who might be unfamiliar even to players who followed the team over the offseason.
WR Kawaan Baker
DL Mike Purcell
ED Brevin Allen
LB Kobe Jones
CB J.C. Jackson
PK Chad Ryland
Unsigned Undrafted Rookie Free Agents (14)
This group was not selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. They are currently without an NFL home. In between, they spent time under contract with the New England Patriots.
RB Deshaun Fenwick, Oregon State
WR David Wallis, Randolph-Macon
TE Jacob Warren, Tennessee
OT Zuri Henry, UTEP
OG Jerome Carvin, Tennessee
OG Ryan Johnson, Youngstown State
OC Charles Turner III, LSU
DE John Morgan III, Arkansas
LB Steele Chambers, Ohio State
LB Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State
ED Christian McCarroll, Grand Valley State
ED Jay Person, Chattanooga
CB Kaleb Ford-Dement, Texas State
CB Mikey Victor, Alabama State
Mikey Victor nearly comes down with the INT pic.twitter.com/iHMUQtalec
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) August 9, 2024
It is surprising to see some of these former New England Patriots still out of work. A few of the UDFAs signed by Eliot Wolf seemed destined for a practice squad spot, at the least. However, it is a long NFL season. Teams are constantly working out players, and as injuries or poor performances hit their rosters, new opportunities will become available. There might even be a few returns to New England. Stay tuned.
