After a preseason showdown against the Cleveland Browns, the New England Patriots are about to slash their 90-man roster by 37 players ahead of Sunday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline on August 30. Most of these moves will come through straight-up cuts, but not every transaction is the same. The NFL has different rules for its seasoned veterans and those players with less league experience, and it’s about to get real for a ton of guys.
Waivers vs. Free Agency: What’s The Deal?
When teams start making those final roster preparations before the season kicks off, not every player instantly becomes a free agent, ready to sign anywhere. Nope. If you’ve got at least four years of accrued NFL service time, you’re a “vested veteran.” When you’re released, your contract ends, and you immediately hit the open market as a free agent. You’re good to go.
But if you’ve got less than four years under your belt? That’s when you’re “waived.” These players are subject to the waiver wire. What does that mean? Any team in the league can claim them and immediately pick up their current contract. The waiver wire order is based on this past April’s NFL Draft order, with no trades messing it up. All teams file claims at the same time, but only the squad highest in that order gets the player. It’s a mad dash! If a player clears waivers, meaning nobody claims them, then they become eligible to sign anywhere they want, even back on their former team’s practice squad. This group of players hitting waivers usually includes those who aren’t eligible for unrestricted free agency status, like exclusive rights free agents (under three years service) or restricted free agents (three years service).
Forty Patriots On The Chopping Block: Every Team Is Watching
So, what does all this mean for the Patriots, a team with the sixth-best Super Bowl odds in the league, according to FanDuel Sportsbook? Well, this isn’t just a few guys. A staggering 40 of their depth players, the ones who aren’t considered “roster locks” like starters or primary backups, will first have to pass through that waiver wire. That’s forty guys who could get snatched up by any NFL team.
The clock is ticking down to Sunday, August 30, at 6 p.m. ET, and teams across the league are gearing up to make their moves. With 40 depth players hitting the waiver wire from a team like the Patriots, who are clearly eyeing a deep run, the next few days are going to be wild. Will these players find new homes and new opportunities, or will they land back on the practice squad? Get ready, because the roster shake-up is coming, and it’s going to set the tone for the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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