Pats Pulpit
The connections between head coach Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots and head coach Raheem Morris’ Atlanta Falcons remain strong this fall.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, nine players currently in the fold have spent time with both organizations during their NFL careers.
Here’s a glance through the list of former Patriots and former Falcons ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium
Tyrone Wheatley Jr., offensive tackle — On injured reserve for the rest of the campaign, the Falcons waived Wheatley with the injury designation during training camp. The 28-year-old offensive tackle had signed to the practice squad last October and re-upped on a futures contract in January. Two standard elevations arrived in between. Undrafted in 2020 after stops at Michigan, Stony Brook and Morgan State, Wheatley participated in The Spring League before signing his first NFL contracts. And after nearing the 2023 roster deadline with the Cleveland Browns, the converted tight end was acquired in Foxborough in exchange for running back Pierre Strong Jr. From there, Wheatley made the first two appearances of his NFL career on special teams before landing on injured reserve. An injury settlement followed in 2024.
Sam Roberts, defensive tackle — Leading up to the league’s cutdown last year, the Patriots waived Roberts. The defensive lineman out of Northwest Missouri State had arrived at Gillette Stadium in the sixth round of the 2022 draft class at No. 200 overall. He appeared in a dozen games during his time with the organization, making one start and seven tackles across 140 snaps on defense and 38 snaps on special teams. Stints with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers followed. In September, however, he was signed off the latter practice squad and to the 53-man roster. The 27-year-old has since notched his first NFL sack as a Falcon.
Parker Romo, kicker — One ex-Patriots kicker unseated another as Younghoe Koo was released by the Falcons in September. It was the well-traveled Romo who had signed to the practice squad and ultimately the active roster after going 5-of-5 on field goals in his 2025 debut as an elevation. The 28-year-old joined the practice squad at Gillette Stadium late last season and was retained on a futures pact. But the sixth-round investment in Andy Borregales won out despite a strong summer battle that featured a 57-yard conversion. Undrafted by way of Central Arkansas, Tulsa and Virginia Tech, Romo spent time in the XFL and now finds himself with his sixth NFL club.
Jashaun Corbin, running back — Now on the injured list, the Patriots added Corbin to the practice squad in early October after veteran running back Antonio Gibson sustained a torn ACL. The 25-year-old originally went to the New York Giants as an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M and Florida State in 2022. He has also been in the fold for the Panthers and Falcons. Handling three catches and one carry through six NFL games, Corbin’s career...
