Patriots claim pair of offensive tackles, two defensive players off waivers
FOXBORO -- After trimming their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday, the Patriots claimed four more off waivers on Wednesday. Offensive tackles made up half of the group awarded to New England, which is no surprise given the team's issues along the offensive line.
The two tackles claimed by the Patriots are Demontrey Jacobs and Zachary Thomas. New England also claimed defensive tackle Eric Johnson and linebacker Curtis Jacobs, according to ESPN's Field Yates.
Demontrey Jacobs
Jacobs is a 6-foot-6, 315-pound tackle who went undrafted in 2023 and spent last season on the practice squad of the Denver Broncos. He had a pretty solid preseason this summer but was waived by Denver on Tuesday in hopes of returning to the practice squad. The Patriots snagged him instead.
Jacobs has never played in an NFL game, so whether he can make an impact or not remains to be seen. But Jacobs will certainly add some size and strength to the offensive line mix.
Zachary Thomas
Thomas is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound tackle that was a sixth-round pick by the Bears in 2022. He spent most of his rookie season on the Chicago practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster of the L.A. Rams. Thomas played three games -- and saw 36 snaps -- for the Rams over the last two years.
Eric Johnson
Johnson is the most experienced player joining the Patriots off waivers, having played in 28 games over the last two seasons. He was a fifth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, and has a sack, a fumble recovery, and 15 combined tackles in his NFL career.
Curtis Jacobs
The other Jacobs claimed by the Patriots on Wednesday went undrafted this year and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played his college ball at Penn State, where he racked up 170 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and a pair of interceptions over 45 games.
Patriots release 4 players after waiver claims
Unfortunately, in order to make room for the four new players, the Patriots also had to part ways with four players who initially made the cut on Wednesday. The team released cornerback Isaiah Bolden, defensive tackle Trysten Hill, guard Michael Jordan, and wide receiver/return man Jalen Reagor.
We'll see if any of those four end up on the New England practice squad, which should be announced in the next day or two.
After going 4-13 last season, the Patriots are third in waiver wire priority through Week 3 of the regular season. Only the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders are above New England on the waiver priority. The Panthers led all teams on Wednesday by claiming six players off waivers.