Patriots waive guard Najee Toran

Author Alex Barth

May 18th, 2021 5:21 PM

The Patriots continue to round out their roster with OTAs around the corner. On Tuesday afternoon, the team waived interior offensive lineman Najee Toran, as first reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Toran joined the Patriots in 2019, spending that season on the practice squad. He then opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. Before coming to New England he spent his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers, bouncing between the practice squad and active roster but not playing in a game.

This move comes the day after the Patriots added two veteran interior offensive linemen via free agency in James Ferentz and Alex Redmond. Ferentz, Redmond, Ted Karras and Marcus Martin will compete in camp for the backup interior offensive line spots behind center David Andrews and guards Shaq Mason and Michael Onwenu. Sixth-round draft pick William Sherman was primarily a tackle in college, but is expected to get some reps inside as well.

In addition to waiving Toran, the Patriots signings of Brian Hoyer and sixth-round draft pick Joshuah Bledsoe became official on Friday, according to the team. With those moves, the team now has 87 players on the 90-man roster. That includes Patrick Chung, whose retirement hasn’t been made official yet.

MORE: Top remaining free agents for the Patriots

• RB Duke Johnson

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  The Patriots used a fourth-round pick on Rhamondre Stevenson, but given their history of ‘redshirting’ running backs, they still may be a player short at the position with Rex Burkhead remaining unsigned. Burkhead’s future is unclear as he continues to recover from a severe knee injury, so the team could look to Duke Johnson, who would bring a similar skill set and veteran presence.

• WR Golden Tate

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  Currently the Patriots project to carry nine pass catchers - five wide receivers and four tight ends. So even if they signed another wide receiver, it’d be a tough battle for that player to get on the roster. That being said, Golden Tate has always seemed like a fit for the Patriots’ offense, and bringing him into camp to find out for sure couldn’t hurt.

• DT Damon Harrison

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  Lack of depth along the defensive line hurt the Patriots throughout the season last year. While they’ve done a good job of building up the roster on the edge, they’re noticeably thinner at nose tackle. 6-foot-3, 350 pound Damon Harrison would give them an NFL-caliber rotational player with All-Pro upside. The 32-year-old is coming off a down year and said last month that although he has spoken to teams since free agency opened, ‘nothing has materialized.’
• DE Everson Griffen

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  As mentioned above, the Patriots are more than set when it comes to edge defenders. Still, if Bill Belichick wants to take things up a notch, Griffen would be an intriguing pick up. The 33-year-old has recorded at least 5.5 sacks in nine straight seasons. Adding him to the pass rush rotation would only strengthen the Patriots’ defense.

• LB Kwon Alexander

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  At 26-years-old, Kwon Alexander is the youngest player on this list. He’s not a free agent due to a dropoff in ability, but rather a torn Achilles he suffered late last year. Before the injury he was a quality player, and this could be a chance for the Patriots’ to buy low at a position of need. They’ve tried a similar strategy in the past, most recently with Demaryius Thomas in 2019.

• CB Richard Sherman

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  With Jason McCourty now in Miami, the Patriots could use another experienced outside cornerback to back up Stephon Gilmore and J. C. Jackson. The concept of Richard Sherman working with Bill Belichick has always been a fascinating one. Sherman brings the physical mentality to the position the Patriots’ tend to look for, and he may be able to contribute at safety as well. Could this be the year the two sides finally come together?
• S Kenny Vaccaro

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  In recent years the Patriots have seemingly been drawn to big, physical safeties and Vaccaro is a big, physical safety. Released by the Titans as a cap casualty before free agency, the 30-year-old is coming off a strong season and would add depth, versatility, and experience to both the Patriots’ secondary and special teams units.

• S Tre Boston

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  If the Patriots want more of a free safety than a strong safety, they could look at Tre Boston. Boston could fill Duron Harmon’s old role as the second deep safety playing next to Devin McCourty, a role that was filled primarily by cornerbacks playing out of position last year. He’s a noticeably strong tackler, making 95 stops last year for Carolina.

• WR/KR Pharoh Cooper

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  As we saw last year, Gunner Olszewski thrived returning punts but struggled on kickoffs. Pharoh Cooper has been one of the most consistent kick returners in the league over the last few years, and could spell Olszewski in that role. He’d also bring a speed element to the offense, and could be used on gadget plays.

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Patriots.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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Author Alex Barth

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brian hoyer,Joshuah Bledsoe,Najee Toran,New England Patriots,NFL,patriots