Patriots Linked To Quarterback Who Torched Them In Preseason

The NFL will oversee considerable roster movement before Tuesday afternoon’s 53-man deadline. Could the New England Patriots have recently watched a potential target?

New England released Ben Wooldridge among their first batch of roster cuts after Thursday’s final preseason game against the New York Giants. The undrafted rookie completed 10 of 20 passes for 82 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 42-10 loss at MetLife Stadium.

Another quarterback fighting for a roster spot had a much better showing. Tommy DeVito connected on 17 of 20 throws for 198 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant performance against New England.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted that the Patriots are now in the market for a third quarterback for either the active roster or practice squad. He speculated that DeVito could be among the available options for New England to consider.

Despite DeVito’s stellar exhibition performance, he may have made his last appearance for a Giants organization that drafted Jaxson Dart in the first round after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.

Unless they trade Winston, the Giants could trade or cut DeVito to avoid rostering four quarterbacks. The 27-year-old would be an interesting acquisition for a team like New England.

DeVito unexpectedly received playing time as an unrafted rookie in 2023. The New Jersey native instantly became a fan favorite when leading a lethargic Giants squad to three straight victories.

DeVito completed 72.2 percent of his passes without an interception during that short winning streak, posting a quarterback rating over 100 in all three wins. Yet he feln to earth down the stretch and couldn’t replicate that magic when averaging 5.8 yards per pass attempt in two games last season.

The Giants didn’t seem to include DeVito in their plans for a transformed quarterback room, but he’s likely played well enough to land a second or third-string gig elsewhere. Perhaps that chance could come with the Patriots, who can use more depth behind Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs.