Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots have added two and subtracted two leading up to the preseason finale.
The organization officially signed running back Micah Bernard and defensive tackle Philip Blidi on Tuesday. In corresponding roster moves, defensive end Jereme Robinson and cornerback Tre Avery have been waived from the active roster of 91.
Bernard, 23, had signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in May and cleared waivers in June. The 5-foot-10, 199-pound Utah product appeared in 51 games dating back to his redshirt season of 2019, making 22 starts at running back and one at cornerback. Bernard totaled 2,217 rushing yards across 421 carries for the Utes, and posted the 21st 1,000-yard rushing campaign in school history last fall. The tenure included 16 touchdowns from scrimmage as well as 770 receiving yards across 99 catches. ESPN’s Mike Reiss first reported his arrival.
Blidi, 23, was also signed by Tennessee in May as part of the club’s undrafted class of 2025. The 6-foot-3, 297-pound rookie defensive tackle was waived on Sunday after recording a pair of tackles in his NFL preseason debut. Across 59 collegiate games, Blidi tallied 91 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery through stops at Texas Tech, Indiana and Auburn.
Robinson, 25, landed in Foxborough in August and made his first appearance in the kicking game last Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to then, he had signed with Chicago Bears after going undrafted in 2025. The 6-foot-3, 263-pound rookie defensive lineman was waived as training camp got underway in July. A Kansas product, Robinson’s Big 12 career spanned 53 appearances, 98 tackles, 14 sacks, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Avery, 28, was awarded off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers earlier in August. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback, whose waiving was reported by KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, played 41 snaps between defense and special teams in preseason action. Avery originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Titans in 2022. After spending his first two years on the 53-man roster, he began 2024 on the practice squad before being promoted and ultimately claimed. The Rutgers product has appeared in 38 career games, starting five, while totaling 65 tackles and 11 passes defensed.
New England began the final week of the preseason by signing wide receiver Phil Lutz and waiving defensive tackle Isaiah Iton with the injury designation.
The New York Giants host Thursday’s 8 p.m. ET kickoff at MetLife Stadium.
