As the New England Patriots trim their roster to the mandatory 53-man limit by Sunday, August 30, 2026, the team has released 20 players, made two trades for running back Corey Kiner and safety Jaylen Reed, and waived cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr.
The NFL preseason has officially closed out in Foxboro, leaving the league’s annual cutdown day to force tough personnel decisions across all 32 organizations. New England entered the weekend with 91 players on the roster following its preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns. By the Sunday, August 30 deadline at 6 p.m. ET, the front office had to cut down to no more than 53 players, triggering hundreds of transactions across the league and up to 37 departures in Foxboro.
Roster Cuts and Departures Peak on Saturday and Sunday
Patriots roster cuts tracker 2026
The wave of transactions began rolling in ahead of the weekend. Cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr., the final remaining member of New England’s 2024 draft class outside of quarterback Drake Maye, was waived on August 29. Fifth-round 2025 draft pick Bradyn Swinson was also waived after logging extensive special teams work throughout training camp.
In the trenches, defensive tackle Eric Gregory and offensive lineman Mekhi Butler were among the first cuts on Sunday morning. Gregory, a 6-foot-3, 319-pound lineman, appeared in six regular-season games last year with eight combined tackles. Butler spent the majority of the 2025 season on the practice squad after arriving as a rookie free agent out of Iowa Western and Arkansas State. Other notable cuts include veteran running backs Hassan Haskins and JaMycal Hasty, outside linebacker Jesse Luketa, tight end C.J. Dippre, and undrafted rookie receiver Cameron Dorner.
The Patriots had 91 players on their roster coming out of their preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns. New England, including the league’s other 31 franchises, will need to reduce their rosters from a maximum of 90 to no more than 53 by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30. As a result, hundreds of players will hit the waiver wire and the open market over the next few days, including up to 37 Patriots. In addition to the roster cuts, a multitude of other transactions, ranging from trades, waiver-wire pickups, free-agent signings and players being moved to injury lists, will be made. Thus far, the Patriots have released 20 players. The list of players released by the Patriots includes Eric Butler, S; Mekhi Butler, OL; Brandon Crossley, CB; Darrian Dalcourt, C; Nick DeGennaro, WR; Marcellas Dial, CB; CJ Dippre, TE; Kyle Dixon, WR; Cameron Dorner, WR; Amari Gainer, OLB; Eric Gregory, DT; Hassan Haskins, RB; JaMycal Hasty, RB; Xavier Holmes, OLB; Jesse Luketa, LB; Peter Manuma, S; Lorenz Metz, OT; JonDarius Morgan, OG; Jacob Rizy, OL; and Riley Wilson, LB. OL Darrian Dalcourt, TE C.J. Dippre, WR Kyle Dixon, ED Xavier Holmes, OL Jacob Rizy, WR Nick DeGennaro, ED Amari Gainer, LB Riley Wilson, OL JonDarius Morgan, WR Cameron Dorner, CB Marcellas Dial Jr., S Eric Butler, CB Brandon Crossley, OT Lorenz Metz, S Peter Manuma, ED Jesse Luketa, RB Hassan Haskins, RB JaMycal Hasty, OL Mehki Butler, and ED Bradyn Swinson were all waived or released. Nicole Yang and Christopher Price, Globe Staff reported that the Patriots are waiving defensive tackle Eric Gregory and offensive lineman Mekhi Butler, per a league source. Nicole Yang, Globe Staff reported that the Patriots announced they’ve released Hassan Haskins, a sensible move following their trade for Corey Kiner.
NFL roster live tracker
Late August Trades Bring Corey Kiner and Jaylen Reed to Foxboro
Rather than relying solely on the open market, New England used future Day 3 draft capital to scoop up players before they hit the waiver wire, where the team held the 31st priority following its Super Bowl LX appearance. On August 29, the Patriots acquired running back Corey Kiner from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick in 2028. Kiner, a 24-year-old product out of LSU and Cincinnati, rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries in Arizona last season.
The backfield acquisition spelled the end of the line for several in-house candidates. The Patriots promptly released Hassan Haskins following the trade, creating a clearer path for Kiner to compete for the primary RB3 role behind the team’s top options. The new faces in Foxboro also include safety Jaylen Reed, acquired with a 2028 seventh-round draft pick in an August 25 trade with the Houston Texans in exchange for wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
New England Patriots Cutdown Day Tracker 2026
Injuries and Reserve Lists Shape the Final 53
Front-office decisions extended beyond outright releases as coaches weighed health concerns across the depth chart. New England is monitoring several injured players, including offensive linemen Ben Brown and Marcus Bryant alongside punter Bryce Baringer. Under league rules, teams can stash up to two players on injured reserve during cutdowns, allowing those individuals to return to practice after four weeks. Christopher Price, Globe Staff noted that once a player on IR is cleared to practice, they have 21 days to either be activated to the active roster or be placed on season-ending IR, and they can also be released or traded.
Meanwhile, outside linebacker Harold Landry has remained on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since July, while special teamer Brenden Schooler has stayed on the non-football injury (NFI) list. Both designations require players to miss a minimum of the first four regular-season games while remaining exempt from the active 53-man roster limit. With the dust settling on cutdown weekend, the reconstructed roster faces its first true test as preparations for the regular season officially take over the facility.
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