Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Patriots claim QB Tommy DeVito, DB Charles Woods off waivers
DeVito impressed against the Patriots last week, throwing for three touchdowns during New York's preseason win.
FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots finalized their 53-man roster on Tuesday.
It took less than 24 hours for Eliot Wolf, Mike Vrabel, and New England’s top brass to put that roster in a blender.
Starting with New England releasing veteran wideout Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker, the Patriots were busy on Wednesday augmenting their depth chart — adding a few players off the waiver wire following cutdown day.
With New England sitting in fourth on the waiver wire between the Titans, Browns, and Giants, the Patriots had a prime opportunity to bolster their depth.
Here’s a look at some of the new additions that the Patriots added on Wednesday.
QB Tommy DeVito
The Patriots added additional depth at the quarterback position on Wednesday with the addition of Tommy DeVito.
Advertisement:
DeVito, 27, was a fan favorite in New York while playing for the Giants — appearing in 12 career games (five starts) over the previous two years.
During his tenure in New York, DeVito sported a 65.3 completion percentage to go along with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Patriots had some history with DeVito — as New England attempted to sign the QB in 2023 before he eventually put pen to paper on a deal with the Giants’ practice squad.
The Patriots had a front-row seat to evaluate DeVito ahead of roster cutdown day, as the former Syracuse and Illinois QB torched New England during the Giants’ 42-10 blowout win during their preseason finale last week.
Advertisement:
In that win, DeVito completed 17 of his 20 pass attempts for 198 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite holding his own when pressed into starting duties in New York, DeVito was deemed expendable on a Giants roster that overhauled its QB room with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart this offseason.
DeVito is now slated to join a QB grouping in Foxborough already anchored by Drake Maye and veteran backup Joshua Dobbs.
CB Charles Woods
The Patriots also bolstered their secondary depth chart by bringing in Woods — who appeared in 12 games with the Rams as a rookie during the 2024 season.
At 5-foot-11, Woods projects to be more of a slot corner in the NFL ranks — which means he might factor in as more of a backup option to another undersized corner like Marcus Jones, rather than stand as depth for boundary corners like Christian Gonzalez or Carlton Davis.
With the addition of both Woods and Devito, New England will have to free up another roster spot after releasing Bourne on Wednesday.
Practice Squad Signings
While New England was also busy adding reinforcements to their roster, the Patriots also filled out their practice squad as New England waited to see if its recent roster cuts cleared waivers.
Advertisement:
Based on Wednesday’s first round of waiver claims, no players released by New England on Tuesday were picked off waivers.
Here is New England’s practice squad grouping:
CB Miles Battle
G Mehki Butler
OL Jack Conley
CB Brandon Crossley
TE C.J. Dippre
RB Terrell Jennings
WR John Jiles
DE Truman Jones
C Alec Lindstrom
DB Kobee Minor
DT David Olajiga
LB Cam Riley
DT Jahvaree Ritzie
TE Gee Scott Jr.
LB Bradyn Swinson
WR Jeremiah Webb
The Patriots still have one open spot on their practice squad, as the team has an international exemption with David Olajiga — allowing the team to carry 17 total players.
Swinson — a 2025 fifth-round pick — stands as an intriguing addition to the practice squad, given his standing as a rookie and high upside after his 2024 collegiate campaign at LSU.
“There’s always tough decisions that we have to make,” Mike Vrabel said when asked about Swinson’s status on Wednesday. “So, we have to do what’s in the best interest of the football team, and that’s why you practice. There’s a competition, and there’s games to evaluate and see how they respond. So, that practice squad list will be out at 4:00 and it’ll continue to, I think, change over the course of not only the next few days, but probably the season.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com