The first win of head coach Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots tenure arrived against the Miami Dolphins. Things have changed from September to January. Some personnel, too.
Two players who once called
Hard Rock Stadium home currently find themselves at Gillette Stadium. Seven more on-field connections can be found on the other side of the AFC East.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, here’s a glance heading into Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. ET season finale in Foxborough.
MIAMI
JaMycal Hasty, running back — Yet to become a standard elevation, Hasty has resided on the Dolphins’ practice squad since the week it formed in August. The 29-year-old running back got there after returning to the Patriots in the preseason and being let go at the NFL’s 53-man deadline. He initially headed to Foxborough as a waiver claim in 2023. And last campaign, Hasty appeared in 15 games for New England’s backfield, notching 20 carries for 69 yards, 10 catches for 59 yards and one touchdown. The vested veteran also averaged 23.8 yards per kickoff return. Undrafted via the Baylor Bears in 2020, Hasty made previous stops with the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars and has appeared in 56 career contests.
Yodny Cajuste, offensive tackle — The Dolphins placed the 29-year-old Cajuste on injured reserve shortly after he signed in training camp. Originally entering the NFL in the third round of the 2019 draft, he spent four seasons with the Patriots through tours on injured reserve as well as the non-football injury list. The former West Virginia bookend saw action in 17 games along the way, starting a handful as a swing tackle, and finishing with 278 snaps on offense and 55 snaps on special teams. After being waived out of his restricted tender in 2023, Cajuste spent time with the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Cole Strange, guard — Strange has started 13 games at right guard for the Dolphins, handling 752 offensive snaps, good for 81 percent. It marks his third line since entering the NFL at pick No. 29 overall in the 2022 draft. The Chattanooga Mocs standout appeared in 30 games while with the Patriots. A torn patellar tendon resulted in 52 weeks missed. He started 27 games at left guard and another pair at center before having his fifth-year option declined in the spring. Subsequently waived at the league’s cutdown deadline, the 27-year-old briefly joined the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns. But Strange soon circled back to the AFC East for a place on the 53-man roster in Miami Gardens.
Jack Jones, cornerback — Jones has started all 16 games since joining Miami’s secondary as a free agent in July, tallying 73 tackles as well as two forced fumbles and one interception. The 28-year-old cornerback out of USC, Moorpark College and Arizona State had been waived by New England amid the 2023 campaign. His 18-game Patriots stint included 42 tackles, two interceptions, one touchdown as well as one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Chosen in the fourth round of the 2022 class, Jones spent time on injured reserve, the suspended list and later had offseason gun charges dropped. He was awarded off waivers to the Las Vegas Raiders after leaving Foxborough, and went on to pick off five passes in the AFC West while returning three for touchdowns.
Joe Cardona, long snapper — Now 176 games into his NFL career, Cardona agreed to terms with the Dolphins in May after he was released by the club that filled out his card in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. The 33-year-old long snapper held the longest tenure at the time of his departure from the Patriots’ roster. His stay stretched 10 campaigns and Super Bowl LI and LIII rings. The Navy Midshipmen product appeared in 160 games in the regular season, handling 1,435 snaps on special teams along with 20 tackles and one forced fumble. He also took the field for 13 playoff games. Cardona occupies a spot on the franchise’s All-Dynasty team and was voted a team captain last year.
Jake Bailey, punter — Bailey visited and signed with the Dolphins after being released by the Patriots in 2023. The ex-Stanford Cardinal punter appeared in 58 games while in Foxborough dating back to his selection in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft. Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors were earned before reaching a four-year contract extension. Yet after a back injury sent him to injured reserve as well as the suspended list in 2022, a grievance was filed. Since then, the 28-year-old Bailey has appeared in 50 games since joining Miami, averaging 47.2 yards per punt with longs of 64, 64 and 66.
Riley Patterson, kicker — Signed from the practice squad to the active roster after serving as a standard elevation, Patterson has converted on 26-of-28 field goals and 33-of-34 extra points for the Dolphins. A career-long 54-yard strike resides among them. The 26-year-old kicker stands 60 games into his NFL run. Back in 2021, after setting out with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent, the Memphis Tigers product twice visited Gillette Stadium for workouts. Two months on the Patriots’ practice squad followed before Patterson agreed to depart for a 53-man roster spot with the Detroit Lions. He is now with his ninth different organization.
NEW ENGLAND
Mack Hollins, wide receiver — Placed on injured reserve due to an abdomen injury last week, Hollins caught 46 passes for 550 yards and a pair of touchdowns through 15 games with the Patriots. The 32-year-old stood atop the wide receiver depth chart with 67.8 percent of the offensive snaps. He also worked in the kicking game and made a cameo in the prevent defense after signing a two-year contract in March. The 2017 fourth-round pick earned a Super Bowl LII ring as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and was later claimed off waivers in Miami Gardens. A Dolphin from 2019 through 2021, Hollins served as a special teams captain before making stops with an additional three teams. The former North Carolina Tar Heel’s career has featured 208 receptions for 2,619 yards and 17 visits to the end zone across 127 appearances.
John Saunders Jr., safety — The Patriots retained Saunders on the practice squad in November after he cleared waivers. Prior to then, the 24-year-old rookie safety spent three weeks on the 53-man roster after being poached from within the division. Stepping into the NFL as an undrafted free agent by way of the Miami RedHawks and Ole Miss Rebels, Saunders recorded six tackles and interception with the Dolphins in preseason action. He began the regular season there as a member of the practice squad.
