Patriots Begin Roster Cuts
The deadline for final roster cuts looms, and teams often get a head start on such moves with players known to be on the wrong side of the bubble. In the case of the Patriots, that has resulted in 14 players being let go early.
Head coach Mike Vrabel announced on Friday (h/t Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald) that the following players have been cut:
- TE Jaheim Bell
- RB Micah Bernard
- DT Philip Blidi
- DB Isaiah Bolden
- TE Cole Fotheringham
- WR Phil Lutz
- LB RJ Moten
- DT Kyle Peko
- DB Jordan Polk
- LB Monty Rice
- G Tyrese Robinson
- G Sidy Sow
- RB Shane Watts
- QB Ben Wooldridge
Each player listed will be eligible to join New England’s practice squad next week, although anyone cut at this time should not be considered a priority (for the Patriots or any other team) in that regard. Wooldridge being let go means that, for the time being, New England only has two quarterbacks on the roster. Drake Maye will of course handle starting duties, but veteran backup Josh Dobbs may not be a roster lock. Especially in the wake of today’s moves, the QB position will be one to watch closely.
A number of relatively recent draft picks are included in the list of players likely moving on. Sow and Bolden were respectively selected in the fourth and seventh rounds in 2023, with Sow handling a first-team role as a rookie. He made only one start last season, however, and was not positioned to serve as a key member of the Patriots’ renovated O-line under Vrabel and his new regime.
Bell joined New England as a seventh-round pick last year. He hardly saw the field on offense but chipped in on special teams. Rice – who logged a 56% third phase snap share during his three Patriots games in 2024 – represents another core special teams presence who will need to be retained via the taxi squad or replaced in the coming days.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/25
Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived/injured: QB Emory Jones
- Signed: LB Ronnie Perkins
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Thomas Graham
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: TE Tyler Mabry
Chicago Bears
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: CB Ameer Speed
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Michael Ojemudia
- Waived/injured: CB Bruce Harmon
Detroit Lions
- Activated from active/PUP list: CB Khalil Dorsey
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DL Devonte O’Malley, DB Jaylin Simpson
- Waived: CB Garnett Hollis Jr.
- Waived/injured: DL Keith Randolph
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Juwann Winfree
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Jake Chaney, LB Joseph Vaughn
- Placed on IR: OT Blake Freeland, LB Jacob Phillips, S Hunter Wohler
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from active/PUP: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Mason Brooks
- Placed on IR: OL Yodny Cajuste
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Xazavian Valladay
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Phil Lutz
- Waived/injured: DT Isaiah Iton
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: DB Kris Boyd
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Kam Alexander, OT Julian Pearl
- Released: DL Breiden Fehoko, WR Roc Taylor, LB Devin Harper
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Will Brooks
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT T.J. Smith
Ojemudia is returning to the NFL after playing for the UFL’s DC Defenders in the spring, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. After starting 11 games for the Broncos as a rookie in 2020, he struggled with injuries and hasn’t played in the regular season since 2022.. The 27-year-old will add depth to a Cowboys cornerback room that isn’t expecting Trevon Diggs or Shavon Revel back until September. Second-year corner Caelen Carson is also dealing with a knee injury, so Ojemudia could get some snaps in Dallas’ last preseason game on Friday. A 53-man roster spot is unlikely given how late he signed with the team, but a strong first week could keep him in contention for the practice squad.
Winfree, a five-year veteran, will land with his fourth NFL team after a workout in Houston. The Texans also worked out former Chiefs wideout Cornell Powell, according to KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Freeland, a 2023 fourth-round pick, started nine games as a rookie and spent 2024 as the Colts’ swing tackle. He will be out for the season with a fractured leg, per Colts.com writer JJ Stankevitz, as will Phillips (bicep), who hasn’t played in the regular season since 2022. Wohler sustained a Lisfranc injury, according to Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. The seventh-round safety will miss his rookie year after appearing to carve out a role in the Colts defense with an impressive preseason.