The New England Patriots’ post-cutdown roster overhaul involved more conviction than competition.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported on Sept. 6 that league sources said New England was the only team to submit a waiver claim on five players after final cuts: edge rusher Jamal Hill, tight end Cameron Latu and linebackers Shaka Heyward, Erick Hunter and Darius Muasau.
The Patriots were awarded Latu and Muasau, then withdrew their claims on Hill, Heyward and Hunter, according to Reiss. New England later circled back to Hunter and signed the rookie linebacker to the 53-man roster.
That detail provokes some thought during a busy stretch of roster movement under Mike Vrabel. The Patriots were operating from their own personnel board, with three of those five targets ultimately landing in Foxborough.
Patriots Had Waiver Wire to Themselves on 5 Targets
Waiver claims can become a numbers game when several clubs covet the same player, with priority deciding who lands him. That never became an issue for New England with this group.
Four of the five that Reiss reported were defensive players, while Latu addressed a tight end room that had lost Julian Hill to a season-ending knee injury.
The Patriots’ official transaction log confirms that Latu, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Muasau, formerly of the New York Giants, were awarded to New England on Aug. 31. The club made the accompanying roster moves while also shifting players to injured reserve.
A day later, the Patriots announced Hunter had been signed to the active roster after the Detroit Lions waived him. Reiss had previously reported New England initially pulled back its Hunter claim after landing Latu and Muasau before circling back when another spot opened.
The sequence makes the Patriots’ waiver activity look highly specific. They were willing to put in claims before knowing exactly how the roster actions would shake out, then kept working back toward one of the players they had first identified.
Latu, Muasau Bring Defined Roles to Patriots
The two successful claims also filled clear needs.
Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar noted that Latu played 103 offensive snaps for Philadelphia in 2025 while serving primarily as a blocker and H-back. He also logged 257 special teams snaps, made seven tackles in the kicking game and blocked a punt.
That background gave New England another experienced option behind Hunter Henry after losing Hill. The Patriots also have rookies Eli Raridon and Tanner Arkin in the room, but Latu arrived with regular-season experience on offense and across multiple special teams units.
Muasau brought a different level of defensive experience. Lazar reported that the former sixth-round pick played 57.8% of the Giants’ defensive snaps in 2025 and made 11 starts, working primarily as an inside linebacker.
New England had sorted through options behind starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss this summer. Muasau entered the scene with significant defensive experience and the ability to contribute on special teams.
Hunter’s eventual addition reinforced the theme. New England had enough interest to claim him, pulled the request after its first two additions came through and found a way to bring him onto the roster shortly afterward.
The usual post-cutdown scramble looked different in New England. Reiss’ reporting shows the Patriots were working from a targeted list — and, for five players, nobody else in the league was bidding against them.
Patriots Were Only NFL Team to Submit Claims for 5 Players After Roster Cuts: Report