FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today a series of roster moves to reach the mandatory 53-man roster limit. In addition to releasing 36 players, the Patriots acquired OL Walter Rouse and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick.

Rouse, 25, originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by Minnesota in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. The 6-foot-6, 314-pounder, has played in eight games during his first two seasons in the NFL.

RESERVE LISTS

The Patriots placed T Marcus Bryant on injured reserve, LB Harold Landry III on the PUP List and S Brenden Schooler on the NFI List.

RELEASED PLAYERS

The Patriots released the following players: S Mike Brown, S Eric Butler. G Mehki Butler, OL Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, OL Darrian Dalcourt, WR Nick DeGennaro, CB Marcellas Dial Jr., TE C.J. Dippre, WR Kyle Dixon, WR Cameron Dorner, LB Amari Gainer, DT Eric Gregory, P Matt Haack, RB JaMycal Hasty, LB Xavier Holmes, T James Hudson III, DT Isaiah Iton, RB Lan Larison, LB Jesse Luketa, S Peter Manuma, T Lorenz Metz, OL Joe Michalski, RB Jam Miller, DB Kobee Minor, G JonDarius Morgan, LB Chad Muma, WR Tejhaun Palmer, DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr., OL Jacob Rizy, DT Casey Rogers, S John Saunders Jr., LB Bradyn Swinson, CB Kindle Vildor, TE Jack Westover and  LB Riley Wilson.

Brown, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Minnesota Vikings out of Miami (Ohio) in 2022. He spent time as a rookie on the Green Bay, Minnesota and Cleveland practice squads. The 6-foot-1, 218-pounder, was elevated from the practice squad and played in three games for the Browns. He was signed to the Tennessee 53-man roster from the Cleveland practice squad on Jan. 1, 2023, and was inactive for the final game of the season. He has been a key reserve and special teams player for the Titans over the last three seasons. Overall, Brown has played in 38 games with five starts and has 45 total tackles, 2 passes defensed and 15 special teams tackles. Last season, Brown was limited to nine games due to an injury and finished with 3 special teams tackles.

(Eric) Butler, 23, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on Aug. 7, 2026 out of San Diego State. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, played in 48 games during his college career and finished with 119 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception that he returned for a touchdown.

(Mehki) Butler, 25, originally signed with New England as a rookie free agent on May 12, 2025 out of Arkansas State. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder, had two stints on the New England practice squad during the 2025 season and then signed a futures contract with the team on Feb. 10, 2026.

Conley, 25, was signed by New England on Aug. 24, 2026. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with New England on May 9, 2025 out of Boston College. The 6-foot-7, 325-pounder, had two brief stints on the New England practice squad last year. He also spent time on the Detroit and Cleveland practice squads during the 2025 season. Conley went to training camp with Cleveland this past summer but was released on Aug. 18, 2026.

Crossley, 25, was originally signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2025, out of Southern Methodist. The 5-foot-11, 186-pounder, had two stints on the New England practice squad in 2025 and was signed to a futures contract on Feb. 17, 2026. He began his college career at Colorado State for one season in 2019 before transferring to Southern Methodist for five seasons.

Dalcourt, 25, was signed by New England on Aug. 15, 2026. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Baltimore Ravens in 2024 out of Alabama. The 6-foot-3, 309-pounder, spent the 2024 season on the Baltimore practice squad. After being released by Baltimore at the end of training camp in 2025, Dalcourt spent time on the practice squads of the Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns.

DeGennaro, 25, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 8, 2026 out of James Madison. The 6-foot, 196-pounder, spent two seasons at Maryland (2020-21), three seasons at Richmond (2022-24) and one season at James Madison (2025). Overall, he played in 52 games and totaled 193 receptions for 2,544 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Dial, 25, originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick of New England in the 2024 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. The 6-foot, 190-pounder, played in 17 games with one start as a rookie in 2024, mainly on special teams. He spent the 2025 season on injured reserve.

Dippre, 24, originally signed with New England as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2025 out of Alabama. The 6-foot-5, 256-pounder, began his rookie season on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Nov. 17. He appeared in two games during the regular season.

Dixon, 25, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 8, 2026 out of Culver-Stockton. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder, played two seasons at Culver-Stockton and finished with 143 receptions for 2,394 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.

Dorner, 22, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 8, 2026 out of North Texas. The 6-foot-1, 188-pounder, started his career at Division II Shepherd University (2022-24) before transferring to North Texas for his final season.

Gainer, was signed by New England to the practice squad on Dec. 17, 2025 and then signed to a futures contract on Feb. 10, 2026. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder, originally was signed by Las Vegas as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2024 out of North Carolina. He played in 17 games last season, mostly on special teams, and finished with 5 special teams tackles. He was released by Las Vegas on Aug. 25, 2025. Gainer played five seasons at Florida State (2018-22) before finishing his career at North Carolina in 2023.

Gregory, 25, was claimed off waivers by New England from Cincinnati on Aug. 29, 2025. The 6-foot-3, 319-pounder, originally was signed by Cincinnati as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2025 out of Arkansas. He played in six games as a reserve last season and finished with 8 total tackles.

Haack, 32, was signed by New England on Aug. 24, 2026. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Miami Dolphins out of Arizona State in 2017. The 6-foot, 205-pounder, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Dolphins (2017-20). He has also played for the Buffalo Bills (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022), Cleveland Browns (2023), New York Giants (2024) and Arizona Cardinals (2025). Haack has also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos. He went to training camp with the Washington Commanders this past summer but was released on Aug. 18. Haack has played in 110 NFL games and has 478 punts for 21,513 yards and a 45.0-yard average.

Hasty, 29, was signed by New England on Aug. 13, 2026. He spent time in New England in 2023 and 2024 and also spent time in training camp with the Patriots in 2025. The 5-foot-8, 205-pounder, was originally claimed off waivers by New England from Jacksonville on Nov. 13, 2024. He played in two games with New England in 2023 and during the 2024 season, he played in 15 games and finished with 20 rushing attempts for 69 yards and caught 10 passes for 59 yards and 1 touchdown. Hasty originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with San Francisco in 2020 out of Baylor. After two seasons in San Francisco (2020-21), Hasty was acquired off waivers by Jacksonville on Aug. 31, 2022. He was released by Jacksonville on Nov. 11, 2023. Overall, Hasty has played in 56 regular season games and has 479 rushing yards on 121 attempts with 4 touchdowns and 60 receptions for 375 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has also played in five postseason games and has 36 rushing yards and 13 yards receiving. Hasty spent the 2025 season on the Miami practice squad.

Holmes, 24, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 11, 2026 out of James Madison. The 6-foot-2, 252-pounder, spent four seasons at Maine (2021-24) before finishing his career at James Madison. He played in 39 games and finished with 153 tackles.

Hudson, 27, a veteran of five NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns (2021-24) and the New York Giants (2025), was signed by New England on March 23, 2026. The 6-foot-5, 313-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick by Cleveland in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Cincinnati. He was signed by the Giants as an unrestricted free agent from Cleveland on March 13, 2025, and was released by the Giants on March 6, 2026. Overall, he has played in 60 games with 19 starts, 14 at right tackle and five at left tackle. Last season with the Giants, Hudson played in 11 games with two starts at left tackle.

Iton, 25, spent the 2025 season on injured reserve after originally signing with the Patriots on May 12, 2025. He was re-signed by New England on July 20, 2026. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder, originally signed with the Tennessee Titans as a rookie free agent out of Rutgers on May 10, 2024. He was released by Tennessee and spent the 2024 season on the practice squad. He signed a futures contract with the team after the season but was released on April 16, 2025. Iton played for Northern Colorado, Hutchinson Community College and Mississippi before playing at Rutgers.

Larison, 24, originally was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 9, 2025 out of UC Davis. The 5-foot-11, 209-pounder, spent his rookie season on injured reserve.

Luketa, 27, was signed by New England as a free agent on March 5, 2026. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh-round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State. The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder, began his rookie season in 2022 on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Sept. 27. He was signed by the Los Angeles Rams to the practice squad on Nov. 18, 2025, where he remained for the remainder of the regular season and the postseason. Overall, he has played in 31 games with three starts and has accumulated 31 total tackles, 3 sacks and 1 forced fumble.

Manuma, 23, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 11, 2026 out of Hawaii. The 6-foot, 200-pounder, spent four years at Hawaii and played in 49 games with 43 starts and finished with 280 tackles, 2 sacks and 5 interceptions.

Metz, 27, was signed by New England to the practice squad on Jan. 13, 2026 and then signed to a futures contract on Feb. 10, 2026. The 6-foot-9, 320-pounder, spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons on the Tampa Bay practice squad as part of the International Player Pathway Program. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Chicago out of Cincinnati in 2023. Metz, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, appeared in 43 games with 27 starts during his collegiate career.

Michalski, 25, was signed by New England on Aug. 15, 2026. The 6-foot-4, 303-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Denver Broncos out of Oklahoma State in 2025. He spent the 2025 season on the Denver practice squad. He played in 59 games with 35 starts during his college career at both center and guard.

Miller, 22, was drafted by New England in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Alabama. The 5-foot-10, 209-pounder, played in 51 games during his college career and rushed 349 times for 1,596 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also recorded 40 receptions for 336 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Minor, 24, was drafted by New England in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Memphis. The 5-foot-11, 188-pounder, started the season on the practice squad last year. He was elevated to the active roster for three games and then was signed to the 53-man roster on Jan. 1, 2026. Overall, he played in four games and finished with 1 solo tackle.

Morgan, 23, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 8, 2026 out of UAB. The 6-foot-3, 321-pounder, spent two seasons at UAB (2024-25) after two seasons at South Carolina (2022-23), playing in 32 collegiate games.

Muma, 27, was signed by New England to the 53-man roster from the Indianapolis practice squad on Dec. 16, 2025 and played in three regular season games and all four postseason games. The 6-foot-3, 239-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a third-round draft pick by Jacksonville in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Wyoming. He was released by Jacksonville at the end of training camp and was claimed off waivers by Indianapolis. Muma was released by Indianapolis on Nov. 1 and was signed to the practice squad on Nov. 4. He has played in 58 NFL games with seven starts and has registered 85 total tackles, 1½ sacks and 18 special teams tackles.

Palmer, 26, was claimed off waivers from Arizona by New England on Aug. 4, 2026. He originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by Arizona in the 2024 NFL Draft out of UAB. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, spent the majority of his first two NFL seasons on the practice squad. He was signed by Arizona to the 53-man roster on Jan. 3, 2026, and saw action in at the L.A. Rams (1/4) in the regular season finale. Palmer was released by Arizona on Aug. 3, 2026.

Pharms, 29, originally joined New England on July 19, 2022, after playing for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL. The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder, spent the entire 2022 season on the practice squad and then after starting the 2023 season on the practice squad was signed to the 53-man roster. Pharms spent time on the 53-man roster and practice squad with New England in 2025. He has played in 31 games with five starts and has 45 total tackles and 2 sacks. Pharms played collegiately at Friends.

Rizy, 24, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 8, 2026 out of Florida State. The 6-foot-5, 306-pounder, spent two seasons at Florida State (2024-25) after three seasons at Harvard (2021-23), playing in 45 career games with 27 starts.

Rogers, 27, was signed by New England on Aug. 3, 2026. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Giants on May 10, 2024 out of Oregon. Rogers began his college career at Nebraska before transferring to Oregon. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder, spent the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad. He was signed to the 53-man roster late in the season and played in two games before being released and signed back to the practice squad. Rogers signed a futures contract with the Giants in 2025 but was released in the spring and claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills before being released at the end of training camp. Rogers was signed back to the Giants practice squad on Dec. 8, 2025 and was activated for one game before re-joining the practice squad.

Saunders, 24, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Miami on May 9, 2025 out of Mississippi. The 6-foot-2, 211-pounder, began the season on the Miami practice squad. He was signed by New England to the 53-man roster from the Miami practice squad on Oct. 30. Saunders was released by New England on Nov. 17, 2025 and was signed to the practice squad, where he finished the season.

Swinson, 23, was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State. The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder, began his rookie season on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Nov. 15. He played in three games on defense and special teams and also appeared in the AFC Championship Game at Denver.

Vildor, 29, is a veteran of six NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears (2020-22), Tennessee Titans (2023), Detroit Lions (2023-24) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2025) who was signed by New England on March 23, 2026. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick of Chicago in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Georgia Southern. After being released by Chicago at the end of training camp in 2023, he was acquired off waivers by Tennessee. Vildor was released by Tennessee in October. He then spent time on the Philadelphia and Detroit practice squads before being signed to the Detroit 53-man roster in December. Vildor signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent last March. Overall, he has played in 80 games with 27 starts and has registered 135 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 18 passes defensed and 1 forced fumble. He has also played in five postseason games with four starts and has accumulated 20 tackles and 1 pass defensed. Last season in Tampa Bay, Vildor played in 12 games with one start and finished with 16 total tackles, 1 interception and 3 passes defensed.

Westover, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent tight end with Seattle out of Washington in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 252-pounder was released by Seattle after training camp and then he was signed to the New England practice squad on Oct. 2, 2024. He was elevated to the active roster for two games and then signed to the 53-man roster on Jan. 4, 2025. Last season, he moved to fullback and played in all 17 games with two starts in the regular season and all four postseason games with two starts.

Wilson, 24, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on July 22, 2026 out of Arizona. The 6-foot, 226-pounder, began his college career at Hawaii (2021-22) before two seasons at Montana (2023-24) and his final season at Arizona (2025). Wilson played in 52 college games and finished with 193 total tackles, 16 sacks and 2 interceptions.