After they announced 11 futures deals yesterday, the Patriots opted to add on a couple more today:
Miami Dolphins
- CB Miles Battle
New England Patriots
Gutierrez has been a practice squad journeyman since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Minot State in 2022. This is actually a reunion for the Patriots, who were the first to add Gutierrez to a taxi squad as a rookie after the Broncos, who initially signed him out of college, waived him around final roster cuts. He’s also spent time on rosters in Las Vegas, Kansas City, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Indianapolis, making multiple stops with the Raiders, 49ers, and Browns. Gutierrez has spent time in two games so far in his career, playing three snaps on offense and seven on special teams.
Mitchell started his career with the 49ers, who, in the wake of Frank Gore‘s departure and a Carlos Hyde rental, had resorted to a running back by committee approach in the late 2010s. As a rookie sixth-round pick out of Louisiana, Mitchell played a huge role, leading the team in rushing with 963 yards and five touchdowns, while Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert dealt with injuries. In Year 2, Mitchell suffered a sprained MCL in the season opener, and Wilson took over RB1 duties before the team ultimately traded for Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell found his way back to the field, after sitting for several weeks, but tore his MCL just three weeks later. A season-ending hamstring injury in the final year of his rookie contract ended his time in San Francisco, and he spent most of last year in Kansas City, getting cut after only appearing in one game by late December.
After the Patriots opted not to include Battle in their batch of reserve/futures deals, the division rival Dolphins opted to offer him a deal in Miami.