Sportsnaut
The Patriots have an off day Tuesday as they travel to Minnesota. The team will participate in joint practices with the Vikings on Wednesday and Thursday before facing off against the team on Saturday in the second preseason game.
Even though, the team isn’t practicing today, that doesn’t mean roster moves aren’t being made. The team made a pair of corresponding moves on Tuesday, releasing recently-signed running back Deneric Prince and bringing in fellow running back Shane Watts.
Watts was in the building for a visit yesterday, and clearly the Patriots liked what they saw. This also explains why Prince wasn’t seen at practice yesterday, as ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that the running back was cut before practice started.
Follow-up Patriots transaction:
🏈 RB Shane Watts signed
🏈 RB Deneric Prince released (before taking the field for practice)
NOTE: Watts is listed at 5-foot-9, 195 pounds. At Division II Fort Hayes State, he was a DB for two seasons before switching to RB. https://t.co/Nz8vBE9oSO
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 12, 2025
Watts is an intriguing add. The running back is a DII product out of Fort Hays State and was one of the most productive running backs at that level in 2024. Watts ran for 1,303 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also collecting 449 receiving yards and four receiving scores.
The Patriots could definitely use more depth at running back for the next couple of weeks at least. Rhamondre Stevenson hasn’t practiced since the preseason opener, while camp standout Lan Larison was recently added to injured reserve. Additionally, Terrell Jennings was unable to finish practice on Monday for unspecified reasons.
Prince’s time in New England was extremely short, as the running back was just added Sunday after Larison was placed on IR. Prince’s only NFL time came in 2023 with the Chiefs where he played 15 special teams snaps and was on the roster when the team won Super Bowl LVIII.
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