Patriots Waive Trio of Prospects; Who's Gone?

Wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson was among three Pats players waived by the team in advance of the 2023 league year.

 FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots are officially on to 2023.

Having added a trio of new coaches to their offensive coaching staff, the Pats are now beginning to make adjustments to their roster.

With one month remaining until the start of the NFL year on March 15, the Patriots have waived wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, cornerback Tae Hayes and kicker Quinn Nordin. The moves were confirmed via the league's transaction wire on Wednesday.

Kristian Wilkerson

Since joining the Pats in 2020, Wilkerson had been a mainstay on the team’s practice squad, yet a promising young wideout prospect. The SE Missouri State product put on an impressive performance in the Pats’ 50-10 blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17 in 2021. In his most productive game as a pro, Wilkerson logged four receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns.

The 25-year-old put forth another solid showing during training camp in 2022. He also showcased his impressive skill set during the Pats preseason opener against the New York Giants on Aug 11, catching eight passes for 99 yards.

After absorbing a crushing hit from Carolina Panthers defensive back Kenny Robinson during a kick-coverage drill on the second day of joint practices between the two teams, Wilkerson was carted off the field to be evaluated for a head injury. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve by the Patriots on Aug. 30.

Tae Hayes

Hayes joined the Patriots active roster on Dec. 31, just four days after signing with their practice squad. The 25-year-old agreed to a two-year deal with New England on Jan. 6.

Undrafted out of Appalachian State in 2019, he had spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. The 5-9, 190-pound defensive back most recently spent time with the Carolina Panthers, both on the practice squad and the 53-man roster. He was released from Carolina’s scout team on Dec. 20. Hayes played in five games with the Panthers in 2022 and had three total tackles. The 25-year-old saw action in two games for the Pats, taking 32 defensive snaps.

Overall, he has played in 13 NFL games and has registered 14 total tackles and two passes defensed.

Quinn Nordin

Since Nordin joined the team as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Michigan in May 2021, fans and media alike have helped to cultivate the legend of his leg strength. During training camp of his rookie season, special teams captain, Matthew Slater, even compared Nordin’s leg to a “cannon” and expressed excitement on watching him develop. At one point, Nordin had yet to miss a kick inside the confines of Gillette Stadium. He finished the preseason going 6 of 8 on field goals and 4 of 7 on extra points, with his longest coming from 48 and 50 yards respectively. He was placed on injured reserve prior to the start of the 2021 season with an abdomen injury. After being released by the team on Dec. 1, he subsequently signed with the practice squad after clearing waivers two days later.

Nordin was waived with a non-football injury designation in June 2022, derailing his attempts at competing for a roster sport during training camp. He cleared waivers reverted back to the Patriots on the reserve/non-football injury (NFI) list.

As a result of their roster moves, the Patriots have approximately $34.3 million in salary cap space -- a $260,000 increase, per Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan

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