Last year’s regular season opener versus the Philadelphia Eagles marked the first time in 20 years that no undrafted rookie free agent was part of the New England Patriots’ Week 1 team. Reestablishing a similar streak was therefore high on the list of roster building priorities for new head coach Jerod Mayo.
“It’s huge,” Mayo told reporters during last month’s training camp. The first step in this process is now indeed on the verge of being taken.
With only six days to go until their first game of the 2024 season — a road clash with the Cincinnati Bengals — New England has two UDFAs on the 53-man squad.