Insider Hints Patriots Could Be Active on Waivers During Roster Cuts

The New England Patriots could bring in some help from the waiver wire in the coming weeks.

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo walks onto the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The infamous roster cuts around the NFL are looming right around the corner as we inch closer to the week one opener of this new season. Typically, it's a time that makes for some tough decisions for each team on who they'd like to keep in a tightly-contested roster battle, slimming their group of 90 players to a 53-man set.

However, when it comes to the New England Patriots, this could be a point of the season where one team's trash becomes another team's treasure.

As this roster looks to be sitting toward the bottom half of the league's standings for this season, there are a few clear holes that could be of benefit to plug up to help this squad add a few extra wins on the board, and the NFL roster cut deadline could be a prime chance to do so.

According to Patriots insider Mike Reiss of ESPN, New England's high priority in the waiver wire to begin the season could set up a prime opportunity for the team to address some glaring areas of need before the 2024 campaign gets fully underway:

"All teams are required to trim rosters from 90 players to 53 by 4 p.m. on Aug. 27, but some of those moves will come earlier than that. The Patriots have the third-highest priority in the waiver-wire order and given some of the obvious needs on the roster (e.g. offensive line, defensive tackle, tight end, etc.), it sets up a critical stretch for the team's pro personnel staff led by Patrick Stewart and Sam Fiorini to add roster-worthy players from teams who maybe didn't have room for them due to depth."

- Mike Reiss, ESPN

Thanks to an ugly 4-13 finish from the season prior, New England is set up at the top of the priority list for any team that wants to capitalize off of the league's waiver wire moves-- outside of the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders; the only teams to come in with a worse record for 2023.

While we don't have a clear picture of who could be available to scoop up off of waivers, just like any year, there will be several contributors with the skillset to land on a 53-man NFL roster but get dropped by their respective teams due to many factors.

For the Patriots, if there are any quality offensive linemen (specifically at tackle) or any figure that can be a disruptor in New England's lacking pass rush, it may be a perfect player to capitalize on and bring him into the building. This rebuilding squad is well equipped with a few rising young players to help fill those gaps if need be, but if a quality player hits the market, it'll be hard to pass up on the opportunity.

The Patriots, along with the rest of the NFL, will have their own tough decisions to make when the league's cut deadline rolls around on August 27th. However, don't expect this front office to remain quiet in their pursuit to improve the roster after the fact.

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