The Patriots picking up these two defensive players off of the waiver wire, anything they had shown to warrant that? And why let a young kicker with a strong leg go over an aging one? – Ben Smolin
It's hard to predict what if anything young players claimed off waivers might provide in the future. Clearly the original teams felt the players weren't ready to earn roster spots at this time, which doesn't necessarily mean they're not worthy of taking a look at. But it also would be fair to say that young players in their first three seasons don't cost much in terms of salary so if they show they're worthy of developing they usually stick around.