New England Makes a Roster Swap at Cornerback

The New England Patriots pass defense struggled on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. A day later, the team made a roster move at cornerback. New England activated cornerback Alex Austin to the 53-man roster from injured reserve. To make room for Austin’s addition, the Patriots released cornerback Marco Wilson.

Austin injured his ankle in Week 4, which landed him on injured reserve. He played only 14 defensive snaps through the first three games. New England designated him for return from IR 19 days ago. If the Patriots did not activate him by Wednesday, he would have had to spend the rest of 2024 inactive.

The Buffalo Bills selected Alex Austin in the seventh round (No. 252 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans claimed him off waivers after the Bills released Austin among their final cuts. He played three games for the Texans before being released and re-signed to their practice squad. Houston released him on Nov. 1, 2023. The New England Patriots signed him the next day.

Also Read – Jerod Mayo Sounds Confident or Delusional After Latest Loss

Austin played five games for New England to end the 2023 season. He recorded nine tackles. His rookie highlight was an interception against Josh Allen, playing against the Bills team that drafted him,

That first career pick is a beauty, Alex Austin 👏

📺: #NEvsBUF on CBS pic.twitter.com/LBtyCOPrcb

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 31, 2023

Marco Wilson

Wilson found himself as the odd man out in New England following Austin’s activation. He played in ten games for the Patriots this season, recording 15 tackles. He was inactive for Week 3 after being flagged for defensive pass interference each of the first two games but was otherwise active all season. This included Sunday’s loss to the Rams when Wilson played a season-low nine defensive snaps.

Despite a small number of snaps, it was a rough outing for Wilson. The Rams targeted him three times. They completed all three passes, for 58 yards.

The New England Patriots claimed Marco Wilson off waivers on Dec. 27, 2023, a day after he was waived by the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he spent the first three years of his NFL career. He played ten snaps in the Patriots season finale before earning an opening-day roster spot for 2024. If Wilson clears waivers, he could be brought back to the Patriots practice squad.