Tag: 2023 practice squad

Patriots’ full 68-player roster entering Week 1, featuring 53-man roster and practice squad

Here’s the Patriots’ updated full roster heading into their Week 1 meeting with the Eagles.

The New England Patriots face an uphill battle when receiving a visit from the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

On one hand, this is a nightmare season-opening opponent for a Patriots team that is completely outmatched on paper, but on the other hand, it’s an opportunity for the Bill Belichick-led team to shock the world by knocking off one of the NFL’s Super Bowl favorites in Week 1.

The Patriots have made a few changes to their 53-man roster, most notably at the quarterback position.

Keep in mind, more moves could come ahead of kick-off on Sunday, but the following players will most likely be on New England’s 53-man roster and practice squad against the Eagles.

Patriots reportedly releasing WR Thyrick Pitts after latest signing

The Patriots have reportedly released WR Thyrick Pitts from the practice squad.

After the reported practice squad signing of rookie wide receiver T.J. Luther on Friday, the New England Patriots have reportedly released Thyrick Pitts in a corresponding move.

NFL teams are only allowed to have 16 players on their practice squad, and a move was expected at some point after news of the Luther signing.

Pitts hauled in two receptions for 26 yards in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, but his work wasn’t enough for the team to keep him over Luther, who might also be able to contribute on special teams.

The Patriots releasing Pitts comes a month to the day of the team claiming him on waivers and signing him.

New England has been dealing with injuries at receiver with Tyquan Thornton currently on injured reserve and DeVante Parker missing multiple practices. They also signed former first-round draft pick Jalen Reagor to their practice squad on Thursday night.

Regardless of the severity of the ongoing injury bug, the Patriots are clearly making an effort to keep their reserves as strong as possible at receiver.

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Report: Patriots signing former first-round pick WR to practice squad

The Patriots are reportedly adding another versatile wide receiver to their practice squad.

The New England Patriots kept six receivers on their 53-man roster, but they obviously aren’t finished adding skilled players to the team. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that the Patriots are signing recently released wideout Jalen Reagor to their practice squad.

Reagor, a former 2020 first-round draft pick with the Philadelphia Eagles, spent the 2022 season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Despite appearing in 17 games, he only mustered eight receptions for 104 yards and one touchdown. He also contributed on special teams as a punt returner. There was a bunch of receiving talent in Minnesota, and Reagor could never escape from the shadows to truly have a chance to make an impact.

Things aren’t likely to be any easier in New England. Granted, they don’t have an elite No. 1 option like Justin Jefferson, but they have several quality receivers that have fought tooth-and-nail to earn a spot on the roster.

Perhaps the team is considering utilizing him as a backup returner behind Marcus Jones.

Reagor is a versatile player with the sort of untapped potential offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and special teams coordinator Cam Achord are probably itching to see in action.

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8 takeaways from Patriots’ initial 53-man roster and practice squad

Here are eight takeaways from the 2023 Patriots’ 53-man roster and practice squad.

The 53-man roster decisions had New England Patriots fans feeling like the sky was falling, but on Wednesday, everyone was breathing a collective sigh of relief as the team’s true intentions were realized.

In other words, it was business as usual for the Bill Belichick-led team.

They’ve pieced together a better roster than they had last season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t serious questions.

The offensive line has been shaky throughout training camp and the preseason, and there will always be questions with the receiving corps until the team actually succeeds with what they have or finally decides to take the plunge and add an elite No. 1 target.

But for right now, this is as good as it gets for the Patriots. Here are eight takeaways from the initial 53-man roster and practice squad.

New England Patriots announce initial 2023 practice squad

Here’s the initial 2023 New England Patriots practice squad.

A day after announcing their initial 53-man roster, the New England Patriots announced their initial 2023 practice squad on Wednesday.

Aside from one new addition, the squad is full of players that were previously cut by the team. NFL teams are allowed to carry 16 players on their practice squad.

The Patriots clearly aren’t finished making moves with there only being 15 players on this list. There are also a few players that could be promoted to the main roster as early as the team’s Week 1 meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles in the regular season opener on Sept. 10.

Let’s take a look at who signed to the initial practice squad with the Patriots heading into the 2023 season.

Report: Fan-favorite QB Malik Cunningham re-signs to Patriots practice squad

After clearing waivers, rookie QB Malik Cunningham is re-signing to the Patriots’ practice squad

After being released on Tuesday, rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham is coming back to the New England Patriots—this time, on their practice squad.

This was confirmed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

New England released Cunningham in hopes that he would clear waivers and return to the team. Not only did Cunningham return, but the team also got Bailey Zappe back on the practice squad as well. This gives New England additional quarterback depth on the roster, with the position being headlined by starter Mac Jones.

Cunningham showed his versatility in the preseason. He went 3-of-6 passing for 19 yards. He also played the wide receiver position, as the team experimented throughout the course of the preseason.

At the very least, the Patriots have more quarterback depth than they did on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if New England brings Cunningham off the practice squad and uses his athleticism within the offense in the regular season.

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Report: QB Bailey Zappe clears waivers, signs to Patriots practice squad

A major gamble pays off for the Patriots.

Bailey Zappe is once again a New England Patriot.

After being shockingly cut from the team on Tuesday, the second-year backup quarterback reportedly re-signed to the Patriots’ practice squad on Wednesday.

The Patriots took a major gamble in releasing Zappe, who immediately went on waivers for other teams to have a chance to put in a claim for him. However, the gamble paid off with the former fourth-round draft pick clearing waivers and ending up back in New England.

Zappe will have an opportunity to continue developing his game within the Patriots’ offensive system. He went 2-0 as a starter for the team last season, when Mac Jones went down with an injury.

Whether Zappe will resume his role as the No. 2 quarterback behind Mac Jones or not remains to be seen. A report from the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi stated that the Patriots were looking for a veteran to serve as the No. 2 option behind Jones.

Even as a member of the practice squad, Zappe’s future remains unknown, for now.

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New England Patriots’ 2023 practice squad tracker

Live updates for 2023 Patriots practice squad signings.

After rocking the boat with the initial 53-man roster announcement, the New England Patriots will try to stick the landing with the practice squad reveal on Wednesday.

Keep in mind, NFL teams can hold up to 16 players on a practice squad. So many of the players cut could be brought back if they clear waivers.

The deadline for waiver claims is at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and the 16-man practice squad can be formed at 1 p.m. ET. That means it’ll be a quick turnaround for the Patriots with more roster additions.

Check back here for live updates as we list every practice squad move made by the Patriots.