Patriots sign edge rushers Kobe Jones, Christian McCarroll
FOXBORO – With Matthew Judon now set to play for the Atlanta Falcons, the Patriots have added some more depth to their defensive line. New England reportedly signed defensive end Kobe Jones and linebacker Chris McCarroll on Tuesday.
The Patriots hosted both players for a workout on Tuesday morning and were impressed enough to sign Jones (according to Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald) and McCarroll (according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson) to NFL deals. Signing the two edge rushers brings the New England roster back up to 90 players.
Jones, 26, broke into the NFL with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in 2021. He bounced around the practice squads of the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers over the last two years, and played in two games for the Packers in 2022.
After being cut by the Panthers last summer, Jones signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He played in six games and finished with two defensive tackles and one special teams tackle.
McCarroll went undrafted this year after he was an All-American at Division II Grand Valley State. He racked up 151 tackles and 15 sacks over his collegiate career, and had eight sacks and 67 total tackles last season to earn Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference defensive lineman of the year honors.
We'll see if either can contribute to New England's pass rush during the 2024 season. Both players will only have a few days to get up to speed before New England's preseason finale on Sunday night, but should get some run against the Washington Commanders.