UPDATE: In fact, the Patriots are not signing Jordan Leggett. They did, however, confirm that they are signing Darius Kilgo.
By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com
Following their league-high eight opt outs at the beginning of the month, the Patriots are now two steps closer to restocking their 80-man roster.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots plan to sign TE Jordan Leggett and DT Darius Kilgo. The signings are contingent on both players physicals and COVID tests.
Leggett won a National Championship with the Clemson Tigers in 2016, and was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. A preseason knee injury cost him his rookie season, but he returned in 2018 with 14 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
He was waived by the Jets before the 2019 season, and subsequently picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who placed him on the practice squad. Despite being added to the roster part-way through the season, he wasn’t activated for any games. Tampa released him at the end of July as part of roster trimming from 90 to 80 players.
At 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, Leggett processes the size the Patriots covet in tight ends. That combined with his versatility as both a pass catcher and blocker will allow him to compete for a spot on the Patriots, who are severely lacking tight end depth going into camp. The 25-year-old’s 14 NFL receptions are more than the rest of the current Patriots combined (six, all belonging to Ryan Izzo).
Jordan Leggett is expected to sign with the Patriots, provided he passes a physical. (Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports)
Kilgo is a 6-foot-3, 319 pound defensive tackle who entered the league as a sixth-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2015. The Maryland product played 18 games for the Broncos before being cut in November of his second season. He was claimed off waivers by the Patriots and signed to their practice squad where he remained the rest of the season, and has a ring as a member of the Super Bowl LI (28-3) champions.
He since has bounced between the practice squad and active roster of four NFL teams, playing 11 games for the Titans in 2018. The 28-year-old spent last season on the Lions injured reserve.
The moves bring the Patriots roster total to 77 players. That includes the two on PUP (Sony Michel, Brandon King), but not Jakob Johnson, who does not count against the 80-man limit as an International Pathway Player. The German-born fullback played four games for the Patriots last year, catching one pass for five yards.
The Patriots will put on the pads and begin traditional training camp practices next Monday (August 17), so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them attempt to fill those final three roster spots this week.
Be sure to keep checking back here for more Patriots training camp coverage here on 985TheSportsHub.com. Here’s a 53-man roster projection by Matt Dolloff and myself, plus a poll to let us know whose roster you prefer.