The New England Patriots brought in a pair of free agents on Tuesday. Outside linebackers Victor Dimukeje and Eric Watts were in town for a tryout, even though neither ended up getting signed just yet.
The Patriots have two open spots on their 53-man roster and another on their practice squad at the moment.
Dimukeje, 26, entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft choice out of Duke in 2021. He started his career with the Cardinals and appeared in 55 games for the organization over four seasons. A four-unit
special teamer and part-time edge rusher, he registered a combined 67 tackles and four sacks. He joined the Giants in 2025 but was limited to only five games due to injuries; his stint with the 49ers this summer ended earlier this month, when the 6-foot-2, 250-pound defender was released with an injury settlement.
Watts, 25, played college football at UConn before entering the NFL as a rookie free agent in 2024. He started his pro career with the Jets, for whom he played 18 games over two seasons and registered 23 tackles. The 6-foot-5, 277-pounder was let go by the organization in August with an injury settlement.
The Patriots currently have four edge defenders on their roster and two others on the practice squad, but only three of them saw action during last week’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas played a bulk of New England’s defensive snaps, with Jose Ramirez checking in late during the 35-6 blowout.
Dre’Mont Jones missed the game with a shoulder injury while neither Xavier Holmes nor Benton Whitley were promoted from the practice squad. Harold Landry and Quintayvious Hutchins are on the PUP and injure reserve lists, respectively, and eligible to return after Weeks 4 and 6.
The 1-2 Patriots will travel to Buffalo on Sunday to take on the undefeated Bills for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
