The New England Patriots weren’t finished reshaping their roster after getting down to their initial 53.
New England claimed tight end Cameron Latu off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Darius Muasau from the New York Giants on Monday, adding two more players as Mike Vrabel and the Patriots continue making adjustments ahead of Week 1.
The moves also created an immediate roster domino.
Shortly after the waiver claims were revealed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Patriots are releasing veteran linebacker K.J. Britt, who had survived the team’s initial round of cuts and made the 53-man roster. Britt’s departure clears one of the spots needed for New England’s two incoming additions.
For a Patriots team sitting near the bottom of the NFL’s waiver priority, successfully landing two players is noteworthy. More importantly, both additions address positions where New England has been evaluating its depth throughout the summer.
Patriots Add Cameron Latu to Tight End Room
Latu arrives in New England after spending the 2025 season with Philadelphia, where he appeared in 15 games.
The 26-year-old originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 NFL Draft, going No. 101 overall out of Alabama.
His addition gives the Patriots another option in a tight end room that already underwent significant evaluation throughout training camp.
Muasau, 25, was a sixth-round pick by the Giants in 2024 and has started 18 games over the last two seasons, recording 100+ tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception.
Latu, 26, is a former third-round pick
New England kept Hunter Henry, Eli Raridon and undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin on its initial 53-man roster. The Patriots had also lost veteran tight end Julian Hill to a season-ending injury earlier in the offseason, leaving the team with reason to continue searching for depth at the position.
Latu now gets a fresh start in New England just days before the Patriots turn their full attention toward the regular season.
The move is also another example of the Patriots refusing to treat Sunday’s initial 53-man roster as a finished product. New England made 42 transactions while reaching the roster limit, including a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for offensive lineman Walter Rouse.
Now, the waiver wire has produced another addition on offense.
Darius Muasau Addition Leads to K.J. Britt Release
The more interesting immediate shakeup may be happening at linebacker.
Muasau, 25, joins the Patriots after spending his first two NFL seasons with the Giants. New York selected the UCLA product in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
His arrival comes at the expense of Britt, who signed with New England as an unrestricted free agent in March after spending the 2025 season with the Miami Dolphins. Britt was originally a fifth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.
Britt had been part of New England’s linebacker competition throughout the summer and made the initial 53-man roster. He recorded seven tackles and forced a fumble across the Patriots’ three preseason games.
His place on the roster lasted only a day.
That quick turnaround illustrates just how fluid the bottom of an NFL roster can be at this point of the calendar. Making the initial 53 does not guarantee a Week 1 spot, particularly when teams begin sorting through players made available elsewhere.
The Patriots had already made several notable decisions at linebacker. Harold Landry III will begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, while Chad Muma, Bradyn Swinson and several other linebackers were among New England’s weekend cuts.
Muasau now enters that picture with the regular season approaching.
There could still be another corresponding transaction coming. Adding Latu and Muasau requires two spots on New England’s active roster, and Britt accounts for one of them. Unless another roster mechanism creates the necessary opening, the Patriots will have one more move to make.
For now, the message from Foxborough is clear: the initial 53 was only the beginning.
Vrabel and the Patriots are still looking for ways to improve the edges of their roster, and two players who were preparing for seasons in Philadelphia and New York now have a new opportunity in New England.