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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 20: Defensive end Niko Lalos #54 of the New Orleans Saints talks with defensive end Kyle Phillips #91 of the New Orleans Saints while playing the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium during a preseason game on August 20, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The second week of NFL free agency saw the New England Patriots continue to add to their roster as they signed long snapper Niko Lalos.
Let’s break down what the moves mean for the team from a big-picture perspective.
Snapper competition
After being selected in the seventh-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Julian Ashby went on to handle long snapping duties for all 21 games for the Patriots in his rookie season — where he logged 3.5 tackles in coverage. Ashby will now face direct competition against Lalos, who does only have six games of experience back from 2020.
The snappers come in different molds, as the athletic Ashby stands 6-foot-1, 231 pounds. As a converted defensive end, Lalos is listed at 6-foot-5, 269 pounds. He remains an impressive athlete at that size.
Across leagues
As Lalos spent most of his football career with the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants, he also played for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL from 2023 to 2024. New England has not been shy of finding talent across different leagues to help fill out their roster. That included signing offensive tackle Yasir Durant and running back Jashaun Corbin out of the UFL this past season.
Roster check
With the second week of free agency kicked off, the signing of Lalos puts the Patriots current roster at 71 players. The Patriots can roster up to 90 players in the offseason — with an exception for 91 with a player in the International Player Pathway program, which New England used last season.
The majority of those spots are expected to be filled in April with 11 current draft picks and undrafted free agency.
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