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On Tuesday, the New England Patriots welcomed two free agent outside linebackers for tryouts: Victor Dimukeje and Eric Watts. Despite the visits, no signings were made. The Patriots currently have two vacancies on their 53-man roster and one on their practice squad.
Dimukeje, 26, was a sixth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 out of Duke. Over four seasons with the Cardinals, he appeared in 55 games, contributing primarily on special teams and as a rotational edge rusher. He amassed 67 tackles and four sacks. In 2025, he joined the New York Giants but was limited to five games due to injuries. His time with the San Francisco 49ers this summer ended earlier this month when he was released with an injury settlement. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, Dimukeje brings experience to the position.
Watts, 25, played college football at UConn and entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2024 with the New York Jets. Over two seasons, he appeared in 18 games and recorded 23 tackles. The 6-foot-5, 277-pounder was waived by the Jets in August with an injury settlement.
Currently, the Patriots have four edge defenders on their active roster and two on the practice squad, but only three saw action in last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas handled the majority of defensive snaps, while Jose Ramirez entered late in the 35-6 defeat. DreMont Jones was sidelined with a shoulder injury, and neither Xavier Holmes nor Benton Whitley was elevated from the practice squad. Harold Landry and Quintayvious Hutchins are on the PUP and injured reserve lists, respectively, and are eligible to return after Weeks 4 and 6.
The 1-2 Patriots will head to Buffalo on Sunday to face the undefeated Bills at 1 p.m. ET.
Originally reported by yahoo.