Patriots add rookie tight end to roster in latest series of transactions

The New England Patriots came out of their mini-bye week by shuffling their roster. They announced a series of roster moves on Monday, highlighted by the signing of tight end C.J. Dippre to the practice squad.

Dippre, 23, joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama back in the spring. He appeared in all three preseason games for the Patriots, but did not record a catch. He's been on the practice squad since final roster cuts.

With this move the Patriots now have three true tight ends on their roster, as Dippre joins Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, although Hooper has missed the last two games due to a concussion. The team also has Jack Westover, who played tight end in college and as a rookie last year but has primarily been a fullback in 2025.

Primarily a blocking tight end, the 6-foot-5, 256-pound Dippre joins the Patriots after they had success with more heavy formations on Thursday night against the Jets. His presence could also give the team more flexibility to play Westover more at fullback and less at traditional tight end, if Khyiris Tonga has to play less on offense with an increased defensive role following the injury to Milton Williams. Signing Dippre could have also been a way to prevent another team from signing him off of the Patriots' practice squad, a possibility ESPN's Mike Reiss pointed out.

In order to open up the roster spot for Dippre, the Patriots released safety John Saunders Jr. after signing off the Dolphins' practice squad last month. Saunders did not appear in a game for the Patriots during his time on the roster, but Reiss noted he could return on the practice squad.

In addition to those roster moves the Patriots also made a practice squad addition. The team signed linebacker Otis Reese, who entered the NFL with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 - then coached by Mike Vrabel. Reese appeared in 20 games for the Titans over the last two years, mainly on special teams.

To open up that spot, the Patriots placed linebacker Darius Harris on practice squad IR. Harris had used up all three of his practice squad elevations with his appearance Thursday against the Jets.

On top of those moves, the Patriots also hosted three players for workouts on Monday. That group includes linebackers Amari Gainer and Jimmy Ciarlo, and defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie. Ritzie was with the Patriots this summer in training camp.