Patriots announce three main roster and practice squad moves

Patriots announce multiple roster moves

The New England Patriots announced multiple roster moves on Tuesday, including the signing of center Lecitus Smith to the 53-man roster, the signing of cornerback Miles Battle to the practice squad and the release of center Sincere Haynesworth from the practice squad.

Smith was plucked from the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. The former sixth-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech will have an opportunity to contribute to a Patriots offensive line that has struggled this season.

Granted, center Ben Brown was a surprising standout in Week 6 against the Houston Texans. The former undrafted free agent was on the field as a starter for the Patriots after only two practices, and he didn’t yield a single pressure in the game.

With the Patriots releasing veteran center Nick Leverett, there could be an opportunity for Smith to work his way onto the roster.

Battle is hoping to do the same in the defensive backfield for New England. The undrafted rookie spent time on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad. He has some size at 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds, which helps him stand out from the pack.

Time will tell how it translates on the football field for the Patriots.

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UDFA rumors: Former Utah DB Miles Battle signs with Chiefs

UDFA rumors: Former Utah DB Miles Battle is set to sign with the Kansas City #Chiefs.

Since defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s hiring, general manager Brett Veach has been focused on strengthening the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense. Each season, the unit develops young players through the draft or undrafted free agency.

The NFL Draft picks last weekend satisfied many of Kansas City’s roster needs, but they have also found undrafted gems in the past. They are hoping for success with the reported signing of former Utah defensive back Miles Battle, who was announced via the Utah Football X account.

Battle provides exceptional size at 6″ 4 205 pounds from the defensive back position. In 2023, as a senior, he played in all 13 games, starting twice at cornerback. Battle finished the season with 32 tackles and one interception in his lone season at Utah after spending 2018-2022 at Ole Miss.

It’s a unique project for the Chiefs, as Battle’s numbers last season weren’t eye-popping. He still has physical attributes that are enticing for the roster. Battle transitioned from wide receiver to defensive back halfway through the 2020 season.

For more Chiefs UDFA signings, follow our tracker.

Packers mock draft 6.0: Final predictions for 2024 draft

Final mock draft predictions for the Packers entering the 2024 NFL draft in this seven-rounder.

We made it! The 2024 NFL Draft has arrived. The Green Bay Packers will start the three-day affair with 11 picks at their disposal. It’s time for my final mock draft of the cycle. In my final mock draft last year, I “correctly” mocked Lukas Van Ness, Jayden Reed and Anders Carlson to the Packers. We won’t talk about the rest of the mock picks.

Let’s take a look at who the Packers landed in my final mock draft of the cycle.

1.25: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa

Surprise, surprise. DeJean would give Green Bay’s secondary a much-needed playmaker and he’d bring juice to the special teams unit. DeJean is an outstanding athlete. He has natural ball skills. He’s versatile and he’s an asset in run support.

2.41: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

The Alabama product is everything you want in a cornerback. He’s long, plays under control and never gives up the big play. According to Pro Football Focus, McKinstry only gave up two receptions of 30-plus yards over the past two seasons.

2.58: Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas

Puni offers five-position versatility. During his two seasons at Kansas, Puni started 13 games at left guard and 12 games at left tackle. During those two seasons, he gave up zero sacks and 16 pressures.

3. 88: Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky

A former track athlete, Wallace is an outstanding athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. He’s light on his feet and has the movement skills to hold up in coverage. At only 21 years old, Wallace has all the tools to develop into a four-down force.

3. 91: Ray Davis, RB, Kentucky

The Temple and Vanderbilt transfer finished his lone season as a Wildcat with 1,129 yards and 14 touchdowns. He runs with good patience and has the contact balance to bounce off defenders. Davis is a well-rounded running back, who could be the long-term running mate for Josh Jacobs.

4. 126: Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington

Even after adding Wallace, the Packers still need bodies in the linebacker room. The Washington linebacker logged 431 snaps on special teams during his time as a Husky and could be a Day 1 contributor for Rich Bisaccia. He’s a good athlete with the competitive makeup to challenge for snaps on defense.

5. 169: Frank Crum, OT, Wyoming

Crum has experience playing both tackle positions. He finished his career at Wyoming with 36 starts at right tackle and 13 at left tackle. The former two-star recruit is a good-sized athlete with the lateral mobility to shut down the corner and the mobility to get out in space to move people in the ground game.

6. 202: AJ Barner, TE, Michigan

Barner could the ideal No. 3 tight end behind Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. The Indiana transfer gets after it as a blocker and he’s a good athlete with upside as a pass catcher. Barner has 555 snaps on special teams to his name and could be a hired gun.

6. 219: Tyler Owens, S, Texas Tech

Roll the dice on the Texas Tech defensive back’s athletic profile. The Texas transfer may never develop into an impact player on defense, but give his athletic profile and experience on special teams (546 snaps and 10 tackles) Owens could carve out a long career as a core special teamer.

7. 245: Matt Lee, C, Miami

A UCF transfer, Lee finished his collegiate career with 48 career starts at center under his belt. Lee started 12 games during his lone season at Miami and gave up zero sacks and four pressures.

7. 255: Miles Battle, CB, Utah

Battle started his career at Ole Miss and made the transition from wide receiver to cornerback during the 2020 season. Battle started two games during his lone season at Utah and recorded one interception and four pass deflections. Battle is an outstanding athlete with good size (6-3 and 196 pounds). With his athleticism, Battle is worth the gamble and could make an immediate impact on special teams. The Ole Miss transfer logged 454 snaps on special teams and recorded nine tackles.