98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
The New England Patriots will certainly feel the sting of another two confirmed draft misses, as the team lost two recent draft picks, Derek Rivers and Hjalte Froholdt, to the waiver wire Monday.
It began with word that the Houston Texans claimed Froholdt off waivers, as first reported by the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson. Drafted by the Patriots with a fourth-round pick (118th overall) in 2019, the Patriots released Froholdt on Saturday to finalize their roster for Sunday’s head-to-head with Houston, and likely with the hopes of sending him to their practice squad.
But the Texans’ claim threw that out the window, sending Froholdt to Houston after playing in just 61 offensive snaps and 31 special team snaps in eight games this season.
Then came word that Rivers, released with Froholdt this past Saturday, was claimed by the Los Angeles Rams.
ESPN’s Field Yates was the first to report Rivers’ move to LA.
Jun 5, 2019; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots defensive end Derek Rivers walks on to the field before mandatory minicamp at the Gillette Stadium practice field. (Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)
Selected with the 83rd overall pick in 2017, Rivers struggled to stay healthy during his four-year run with the Patriots, suffering two torn ACLs, and appearing in just 14 contests over his New England tenure. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end totaled four tackles and 1.5 sacks in eight games with the Patriots prior to his release.
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