Pats Pulpit
Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline brought hundreds of transactions across the NFL. A significant portion of them — those with fewer than four accrued seasons in the league — were placed on the waiver wire: where teams have until 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday to put in claims in order to add them to their 53-man rosters.
The New England Patriots, who have the fourth spot in the waiver claim priority, have a full 53-man roster as of now. However, head coach Mike Vrabel noted that roster will continue to be fluid over the upcoming days as they continue to search for upgrades.
With that being said, let’s take a look at 10 potential targets that would make sense.
Following the release of quarterback Ben Wooldridge, New England is left with just Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs on their quarterback depth chart. It should be expected that a third quarterback enters the building in some capacity (perhaps via the practice squad).
With first-round pick Jaxson Dart joining veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on the roster in New York, the Giants waived Tommy DeVito, who has eight NFL starts to his name, fresh off of a three touchdown preseason finale against New England.
New England’s former fullback does not qualify for waivers, but Johnson is a clear target after being released by the Texans. With Josh McDaniels back in town, the Patriots were set to role with Brock Lampe at fullback before the UDFA landed on IR. Enter Johnson, who provides the more traditional fullback role and has ample experience working with McDaniels.
The third tight end spot in New England behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper was ultimately won by Jack Westover, whose versatility as a fullback helped pave his way to a roster spot. But with the opportunity to add a more traditional fullback as mentioned above, the Patriots could look for an upgrade at tight end.
Dulcich has been quiet and dealt with injuries since a productive rookie season with the Broncos back in 2022, but is coming off a productive preseason with three touchdowns (two against the Patriots).
Elsewhere at tight end, Welch was a surprise cut in New Orleans after a strong preseason in which he caught six passes for 65 yards in addition to playing four special teams units. The Patriots could look for a tight with more in-line ability, with Jelani Woods being a name to watch after being released from Indianapolis, but Welch is a good athlete who is at his best as a move tight end.
He also spent his rookie training camp with the Cleveland Browns — where Mike Vrabel was on staff — before joining the Saints practice squad last season.
An undrafted free agent out of Washington State, the 6-foot-7 left tackle had an extremely impressive preseason for the Kansas City Chiefs as he did not allow a pressure...
