The New England Patriots have just over a week to go until they kick off the 2026 NFL campaign with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks. All offseason long, the Pats have been hard at work trying to find ways to upgrade their roster after coming up short against the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, and they will immediately face a big test when they return to the field for Week 1.
Entering the new season, it’s tough to say that New England’s roster is not in better shape than it was at this time last year. However, there are still some areas of weakness on the depth chart, with the pass-rush department arguably being the biggest of the bunch. With that in mind, the Patriots recently added a former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker to their practice squad ahead of the start of the new campaign.
Patriots Sign Linebacker Jose Ramirez to Their Practice Squad
If there’s a spot where the Patriots are worse off than they were last year, it’s their front seven on defense. On the edge, Harold Landry III is beginning the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and the decision to replace K’Lavon Chaisson with Dre’Mont Jones left some folks scratching their heads. At the middle linebacker spot, there isn’t much depth behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss currently.
That led N.E. to take a closer look at Jose Ramirez, who just got released by the Eagles. A sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Ramirez initially spent the first two years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he only appeared in four total games, all of which took place in 2024. After spending 2025 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League, Ramirez signed a reserve/future contract with Philly.
With one of the deepest rosters in the league, Philadelphia didn’t have room for Ramirez on its depth chart, which led to him getting cut. Rather than potentially returning to the Eagles as a practice squad player, Ramirez opted for a fresh start, as he decided to sign with the Patriots practice squad on Tuesday afternoon.
“Linebacker Jose Ramirez is signing to the Patriots practice squad, per source. He was recently cut by the Eagles,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported in a post on X.
Patriots Decide to Take a Flier on Jose Ramirez
Ramirez hasn’t found his footing in the NFL, but a quick look at his production in college will show the sort of upside he possesses. While with the Eastern Michigan Eagles, Ramirez won the 2022 MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award after he racked up 66 tackles and 12 sacks in only 12 games of action.
As a practice squad player, Ramirez isn’t going to contribute for New England right away, but if Mike Vrabel and the coaching staff can aid his development, he could turn himself into a solid situational pass rusher for the team. There’s no harm in taking a flier on a pass rusher with upside, which is precisely what Ramirez is, and it will be worth keeping tabs on him to see if he can generate any sort of momentum with his new squad.
Patriots Sign Former Eagles Linebacker After Recent Release