New England Patriots UDFAs add potential offensive weapons

With undrafted players now free to sign with NFL teams following the draft, here’s a look at the early additions for the New England Patriots.

There is no doubt that this offseason has been one filled with change for the New England Patriots. Tom Brady left Foxborough and the only NFL organization he has ever played for to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and try and make another run at a Super Bowl trophy alongside former New England tight end Rob Gronkowski in Florida.

The departure of Brady signaled the end of a historic run for the Patriots and also gave a glimpse into what would end up being a transition period for Bill Belichick and company in New England.

The process of retooling following some key subtractions to the roster kicked off during the 2020 NFL Draft on April 23-25, an annual event that had the Patriots slated to hold 12 picks during the seven-day draft this year.

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After making a trade in the first round of the draft to move out of the opening round, New England ended up making 10 selections during the three days while addressing some needs and holes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The Patriots exited the draft with two picks in the second round, three in the third, one in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh and final round to bring the total to 10 selections.

Although the draft brought in some intriguing young prospects to Foxborough, adding youth and talent continued after the draft for the Patriots and in undrafted free agency.

In the post-draft signing process of college players, New England brought in 15 additional players to the roster, bringing the total of prospects set to join the Patriots coming to a total of 25 in the matter of a two-week span.

According to both the Patriots team website and other outlets such as NBC Sports Boston, New England has primarily added a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball via undrafted free agency. Mainly within the passing game as well.

Among some of the early undrafted free agents that New England has signed on offense to kick off the post-draft period include Michigan State quarterback Briann Lewerke, Louisiana Tech quarterback J’Mar Smith, Auburn wide receiver Will Hastings, Mississippi State wide receiver Isaiah Zuber, Syracuse wide receiver Sean Riley, Miami wide receiver Jeff Thomas, Ohio State tight end Rashod Berry, Boston College tight end Jake Burt and Arizona running back J.J. Taylor.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots signed Washington cornerback Myles Bryant, Louisiana Tech linebacker Courtney Wallace Jr., San Diego State linebacker Kyahva Tezino, Arkansas linebacker De’Jon Harris, William & Mary defensive tackle Bill Murray and Miami defensive end Trevon Hill.

Overall, of those 15 players signed following the draft, nine players filled the offensive depth chart with the remaining six prospects coming on the defensive end of the field.

Most notably, perhaps, was the fact that the Patriots added two quarterbacks to the mix behind Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer after not drafting a player at that position during the draft. New England is also continuing to try and fill in players among its struggling receiving cops ahead of the 2020 campaign.

It’s not likely that we will see the players that the Patriots signed via undrafted free agency will come in right away and surprise everyone by making a huge impact. But one key objective this offseason for New England was to try and rebuild via the draft and in undrafted free agency with bringing in young talent, and the Patriots were able to do just that while adding some offensive weapons leading into the 2020 season.