MORSE: Patriots Roster Remains in Flux

Nineteen hours after getting down to the league-mandated 53 players, the Patriots were very busy reshaping their roster and filling the Practice Squad. They were awarded two players off waivers, then released two veterans to make room for them. But they weren’t done yet. After this, they also sent two players to the IR, leaving the roster short two players at 51. At 1:00, they started filling the Practice Squad.

Comings and Goings

The Patriots were awarded two players from Cut-Down Waivers.

TE/FB Cameron Latu, 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, out of Alabama. 2023 third-round pick of the 49ers No. 101), but didn’t make their 53-man roster and signed to their PS. He was later released by SF and signed with Cleveland’s PS for the remainder of 2024. In January, he signed a Futures contract with Philadelphia and had a blocked punt that resulted in a TD. 15 career games played (103 offensive snaps, 257 on special teams). Averaged 14.1 per catch in college in a limited role in the passing game.

NFL Draft Buzz wrote this about Latu:

Latu has strong hands and is extremely competitive, and Latu has an innate sense of timing when it comes to elevating and high-pointing balls.
Good burst off the snap, quick hands and good balance to gain a clean release.
Good strength and effort to run through arm tackles.
Latu has a tapered build and strong hands, ripping the ball back with ease when defensive backs manage to get a hold of it.
A lean athlete with obvious upside. Soft hands. Flashes the ability to make the outstanding catch.
He’ll have to develop a better feel for sitting down against zone coverage.
He’s a work in progress as a blocker, often playing too high and getting overpowered at the point of attack.
Struggles tracking the ball over his shoulder.
Latu really isn’t a guy who will create a lot of separation.

Latu was on the Browns practice squad in 2024. Mike Vrabel worked with the Browns tight ends that season as an assistant coach. He played in 15 games for the Eagles last season. A core special teamer, he made 11 tackles and blocked a punt – Mark Daniels

LB Darius Muasau is undersized, a shade under 6 ’, 225 pounds, but quick and explosive (36.5-inch vert). The UCLA product ran a 4.7 40 at this Pro Day. In the 2024 Draft, Muasau was selected by the Giants in the sixth round, 183rd overall. Over the two seasons, he played 18 games for New York. In those seasons, he had 106 Tackles. As a rookie, he started 7 games, followed by 11 of 12 starts in 2025, with a stint on IR with an ankle injury in November. He returned in December, missing weeks 10-14.

NFL Draft Buzz had this to say about Muasau:

Reads the quarterback to anticipate and is a candidate to play outside.
Muasau shows good quickness off the line of scrimmage and flashes the violent hands to win around the edge.
He has violent hands and consistently breaks away and disengages from blockers. He’s instinctive, reading, reacting and locating the ball quickly, and finishing plays as an authoritative, wrap-up tackler.
Muasau can move laterally and chase in pursuit. A tough, violent tackler with a non-stop motor, Muasau also shows good awareness when dropping into coverage.
Intelligent player who can play “MIKE” linebacker despite his lack of size because of his instincts and ability to find the ball in traffic.
Quick to read run, showing good agility and speed to get past blockers and finish. Experienced in coverage and gets a strong jam on outside receivers.

Reading Dane Brugler’s write-up on Darius Muasau, and interestingly enough, it included this line: Similar in ways to Sione Takitaki. Eliot Wolf signed Takitaki in ’24, and Muasau played in NY with Cowden in the front office. Easy to connect the dots there. – Nick Cattles

The Patriots Released LB KJ Britt and in a surprise move C Ben Brown. Additionally, they added Bryce Barringer and Khalil Jacobs to IR. These moves leave the Patriots with two open roster spots at 51 players. Both players are Vested Veterans and therefore do not have to clear waivers. They immediately become Free Agents. Mike Reiss alludes to Brown re-signing Tuesday. Perhaps it will be the same for Britt. The Patriots may also look for additional help by signing a Veteran or two.

S Eric Butler and DT Isaiah Iton were waived injured and have reverted to the Patriots’ IR. Jam Miller was waived injured, but he has reached an injury settlement and, once he is recovered, is free to rejoin the Patriots or any other team.

Aug 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New England Patriots safety Mike Brown (33) tackles Cleveland Browns quarterback Taylen Green (15) during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images — **Patriots LB Mike Brown. (PHOTO: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)**

Patriots Practice Squad Moves

The Patriots announced they have signed P Mitch Wishnowsky to the Practice Squad. The 34-year-old is a veteran of seven NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2019-24) and the Buffalo Bills (2025). The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder was released by Buffalo on Aug. 30, 2026. He originally entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick by San Francisco in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Utah. He was released by San Francisco on May 28, 2025, and was signed by the Washington Commanders to the practice squad on Sept. 10, 2025. He was elevated for one game but did not play and then was released from the Washington practice squad. Wishnowsky signed with Buffalo on Sept. 30, 2025, and played in 13 games. A native of Gosnells, Australia, Wishnowsky has played in 105 regular-season games and has 348 punts for 15,865 yards for a 45.6-yard average with 156 punts inside the 20-yard line. With Barringer added to the IR, look for Wishnowsky to be a game-day elevation from the Practice Squad.

The Patriots announced they have signed the following 11 players to the Practice Squad:

Jeremiah Pharms DT

Jacob Rizy C

Hassan Haskins RB

Eric Gregory DT

Lorenz Metz * OT

Riley Wilson LB

Kyle Dixon WR

Mike Brown S

Lan Larison RB

Cameron Dorner WR

Kindle Vildor CB

I have no idea why they re-signed S Mike Brown. I would have thought that John Saunders was the better player to re-sign. Perhaps Saunders is pissed off that he didn’t make the 53-man roster and has chosen to look for greener pastures.

When the transaction was posted that Larison, Haskins, Dorner, Dixon, Pharms, Gregory, and Rizy signed to the Practice Squad, I was glad to see it. Don’t understand the re-signing of LB Riley Wilson. Jeremiah Pharms is going for the career record of Transactions with the same team. I think it’s up to 23. Pharms is also the 5^th longest-tenured player on the team.

OT Lorenz Metz is the International Pathways Program player and gets a roster exemption, which allows the Patriots to carry 17 players on the Practice Squad.

The Athletic reported the Patriots signed former NY Giants Practice Squad OG Jake Kubas to their Practice Squad, but that has not been officially reported by the Patriots. The 6’4”, 308-pound lineman played at North Dakota State. He was a FCS All-American in 2023, team captain, and 6x All-MVFC Honor Roll team. This preseason, he had an outstanding 84.3 Offensive grade and an even better 85.8 run-blocking grade. Kubas is strong, and at his Pro Day he lifted the 225# Bench Press an impressive 28 times. In 2024, Kubas played in 5 games and started 3 of those. In 2025, he spent the entire year on the Practice Squad. Kubas also practiced at Center this preseason.

CB Marcellus Dial was claimed off waivers by Miami. Miami claimed and was awarded a whopping 7 players. That’s 13% of their roster. The Dolphins have more players on their roster from the Patriots 2024 Draft (2 – Dial and Caedan Wallace) than the Patriots do (Drake Maye).

OL James Hudson, cut yesterday, is signing with the Tennessee Titans Practice Squad. The patriots have 5 open spots on the Practice Squad. We believe that one spot is for Kubas, who I think will be a tremendous signing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is added to the 53-man roster ahead of Brown.

I can’t believe the Patriots are carrying 4 TEs and a FB.

The roster is still in flux, and more changes will occur over the next few days as the team starts to get ready for Seattle.

Like this article?
Support Mark and buy him a coffee.

About Mark Morse

Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.

View all posts by Mark Morse