The Patriots have waived TE Dalton Keene.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 21, 2022
The New England Patriots have waived tight end Dalton Keene, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
It’s a move that comes ahead of Tuesday’s roster cut deadline, where NFL teams are expected to have their rosters down to 80 players. The Patriots waived defensive backs Jalen Elliott and Devin Hafford on Saturday.
Keene, a former third-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech, never caught on with the offense the way the team hoped.
Along with Devin Asiasi, he was part of a 2020 effort by the team to double dip at tight end and revitalize the position, but things never quite worked out that way. Keene constantly fought through injuries and just couldn’t get enough time on the field.
He has only appeared in six games in the last two years with five targets, three receptions and 16 yards. Those struggles were part of the reason why the Patriots put so much money into going out and signing Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry to big contracts.
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