Contracts expire for eight members of 2025 Patriots practice squad
· Yahoo Sports
Eight recent New England Patriots have become street free agents a week into the NFL offseason.
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Running backs D’Ernest Johnson and Craig Reynolds, wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr., tight end Thomas Odukoya, center Brenden Jaimes, linebackers Patrick Johnson and Darius Harris, as well as safety Richie Grant all saw their contracts with the organization expire on Tuesday.
Each finished Super Bowl LX run in the fold, either on the practice squad or its injured reserve, before not being retained on futures contracts.
D’Ernest Johnson, 29, appeared in 11 games after signing in Foxborough in October, including the entirety of the playoff run. Spending time both on the practice squad and 53-man roster, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back handled 46 snaps on offense and 46 snaps on special teams. A veteran of 109 combined games, Johnson’s NFL career includes 228 carries for 1,014 yards, 53 catches for 467 yards, 51 kickoff returns for 1,229 yards, as well as three starts and three touchdowns. Beginning with the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos, the 2018 undrafted free agent from the University of South Florida has also been a member of the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals.
Reynolds, 29, joined New England’s practice squad in November and was placed on injured reserve in December. The 5-foot-11, 216-pound running back accrued the previous five years with the Detroit Lions and cleared waivers on Thanksgiving Day. Through 60 NFL games, Reynolds has totaled 469 snaps on offense and 785 snaps on special teams. He stands 658 rushing yards, 258 receiving yards and one touchdown across 179 touches from scrimmage in the regular season. An additional visit to the end zone arrived during his playoff career. The Kutztown product has spent time with an additional three organizations since going undrafted in 2019.
Sherfield, 29, signed with the Patriots ahead of the divisional round and re-signed after the AFC Championship Game. It marked his eighth NFL stop since going undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2018. A veteran of 124 games in the regular season, including 14 starts, the 6-foot-1, 206-pound wide receiver has caught 89 passes for 1,034 yards and six touchdowns. Sherfield has tallied 2,684 snaps on offense and 1,804 snaps on special teams. His journey has also featured seven playoff appearances across tours with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings.
Odukoya, 28, was sent to injured reserve in December after reuniting with a familiar coaching staff in October. The Netherlands native had signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He did so through NFL’s International Player Pathway after beginning his United States football journey at West Hills-Coalinga, Garden City Community College and Eastern Michigan. After spending his first two NFL campaigns on the practice squad, Odukoya made the 53-man roster in Nashville out of training camp in 2024. The 6-foot-6, 253-pound tight end appeared in two games during his stay and became a free agent in the fall.
Jaimes, 26, landed on New England’s practice squad in September and returned in January after a stint on the 53-man roster. A three-time standard elevation, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound interior lineman totaled 22 snaps on offense and 28 snaps on special teams over that span. Selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft at No. 159 overall, Jaimes has appeared in 50 games and started three in his career. The Nebraska alum spent four years with the Los Angeles Chargers before making an offseason stop in Tennessee.
Patrick Johnson, 28, agreed to terms with the reigning AFC champions as Super Bowl LX preparations got underway. Entering the NFL in the seventh round of the 2021 draft at No. 234 overall, Johnson was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl LVII team and circled back last league year after being claimed off waivers by the New York Giants in 2024. The 6-foot-2, 248-pound linebacker via Tulane has checked into 70 games in the regular season while amassing 615 snaps on defense and 1,902 snaps on special teams. A two-game starter, his career includes 47 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one recovery.
Harris, 30, signed in September and closed out the year on injured reserve after reaching the NFL limit in standard elevations. The 6-foot-2, 238-pound linebacker played 52 snaps on special teams over that stretch while notching four tackles. Entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Harris has also been in the fold for the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. He has appeared in 40 games, including six starts on defense, and earned three Super Bowl rings. The Middle Tennessee alum stands with 63 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Grant, 28, landed at Gillette Stadium in October and reverted to the practice squad after one standard call-up. It brought one tackle through nine snaps on special teams. The 6-foot, 200-pound safety out of Central Florida entered the NFL in the second round of the 2021 draft at No. 40 overall. Now a veteran of 68 games, made 33 starts while a member of the Atlanta Falcons, recording 275 tackles along with three sacks, three interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has seen 2,479 snaps on defense and 1,080 snaps on special teams in his career.
Head coach Mike Vrabel’s Patriots signed 13 players to futures contracts last week.
The initial wave included wide receivers Jeremiah Webb and John Jiles, tight end Marshall Lang, offensive tackle Lorenz Metz, guards Mehki Butler and Andrew Rupcich, defensive tackles Leonard Taylor III and Jeremiah Pharms Jr., linebackers Amari Gainer and Otis Reese, as well as safety John Saunders Jr. The returns of running back Elijah Mitchell and offensive tackle Sebastian Gutierrez followed.
Cornerback Miles Battle stayed in the AFC East on a futures pact with the Dolphins.