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The New England Patriots made some rather interesting moves as things ramp up for training camp. The Patriots added two new players to their roster in tight end Mitch Van Vooren and linebacker and UDFA Riley Wilson.
These moves come at an interesting time, with an aging linebacker corps and some backups on the current roster itching for a 53-man roster spot, as well as a dire need for a TE2 or TE3 to fit into the offensive system ever since Julian Hill went on IR earlier this offseason.
Both additions give depth and give Mike Vrabel a lot to look at as training camp takes shape for when it is time to cut things down to 53 men.
Let's start with Van Vooren, who is a multifaceted athlete. Sure, he did not get an invite to the Combine back in 2025, but let's not discredit anything here. The tight end is 6 feet 5, weighs 255 pounds, and was once a track star in college.
Van Vooren set school records in the 400-meter hurdles at both St. Norbert and Marquette. He followed that up by being voted to the All-Big East Outdoor team in 2022 and named first-team All-American in 2023.
There's clearly something here the Patriots could make use of even if he's just a spot to fill on the roster.
Wilson tested well on the 40-yard dash this past spring at the NFL Combine. The linebacker ran it at 4.57 seconds at his pro day. It was the eighth-fastest time for a linebacker at the Combine this year.
Wilson brings in a lot of versatility at his position. He played both edge rusher and off-ball linebacker during his college career at Hawaii, Montana, and the University of Arizona. His speed and quick movements helped him play both roles.
Let's also discuss the financials with these two.
As we saw with the Isaiah Iton signing earlier this week, the signing of these two additions should be similar, without any real cap hit (although there are not many public details on this yet).
One-year deals that circle the $885,000 minimum salary are usually what we see here. Also, no guarantees are expected to be part of the pacts, and they have no impact on the Patriots' salary cap (the NFL's Top 51 Rule).
Follow Tyler for more Patriots content
Check out the Patriots Roundtable Podcast and like and subscribe
Patriots Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Patriots. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
These moves come at an interesting time, with an aging linebacker corps and some backups on the current roster itching for a 53-man roster spot, as well as a dire need for a TE2 or TE3 to fit into the offensive system ever since Julian Hill went on IR earlier this offseason.
Both additions give depth and give Mike Vrabel a lot to look at as training camp takes shape for when it is time to cut things down to 53 men.
Let's start with Van Vooren, who is a multifaceted athlete. Sure, he did not get an invite to the Combine back in 2025, but let's not discredit anything here. The tight end is 6 feet 5, weighs 255 pounds, and was once a track star in college.
Van Vooren set school records in the 400-meter hurdles at both St. Norbert and Marquette. He followed that up by being voted to the All-Big East Outdoor team in 2022 and named first-team All-American in 2023.
There's clearly something here the Patriots could make use of even if he's just a spot to fill on the roster.
Wilson tested well on the 40-yard dash this past spring at the NFL Combine. The linebacker ran it at 4.57 seconds at his pro day. It was the eighth-fastest time for a linebacker at the Combine this year.
Wilson brings in a lot of versatility at his position. He played both edge rusher and off-ball linebacker during his college career at Hawaii, Montana, and the University of Arizona. His speed and quick movements helped him play both roles.
Let's also discuss the financials with these two.
As we saw with the Isaiah Iton signing earlier this week, the signing of these two additions should be similar, without any real cap hit (although there are not many public details on this yet).
One-year deals that circle the $885,000 minimum salary are usually what we see here. Also, no guarantees are expected to be part of the pacts, and they have no impact on the Patriots' salary cap (the NFL's Top 51 Rule).
Follow Tyler for more Patriots content
Check out the Patriots Roundtable Podcast and like and subscribe
Patriots Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Patriots. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
