Patriots make a series of transactions, adding RB and OL
C.J. Marable and Micah Vanterpool are joining the team.
The Patriots signed two offensive players and released two defensive players Saturday.
They added running back C.J. Marable and offensive lineman Micah Vanterpool and parted ways with linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi and safety Jourdan Heilig.
Marable, 26, originally signed with the Chicago Bears as a rookie free agent out of Coastal Carolina in 2021. The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder spent the last two seasons playing in the United States Football League for the Birmingham Stallions and helped lead the team to back-to-back championships.
Last season, he totaled 1,079 all-purpose yards for the Stallions – 525 rushing yards, 235 receiving yards, and 319 return yards. He added three rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns.
Vanterpool (6-foot-6, 315 pounds), 24, played guard and tackle during his college career at Hawaii from 2017-22. He started all 13 games in 2022 at right guard and was named All-Mountain West second team. Vanterpool signed with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL late in the spring season and was inactive for the final two games.
The Patriots signed the 24-year-old Fatukasi (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) in January. He originally signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a rookie free agent out of Rutgers in May 2022. He made the 53-man roster out of training camp, played in 13 games, and registered six special teams tackles. Fatukasi finished the 2022 campaign on the Denver Broncos practice squad.
Heilig, 22, joined the Patriots in May as a rookie free agent out of Appalachian State. The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder played four seasons at Appalachian State as a linebacker. He played in 51 games and finished with 34 total tackles on defense.
Following the moves, the Patriots’ roster sits at 90 players (the maximum allowed) as of Saturday night.
Game two of the preseason is set for Saturday, Aug. 19, at 8 p.m. against the Green Bay Packers.
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