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New England Patriots Rookie Edge Rusher "Shocked' Coaches at Tryouts
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- New England Patriots Rookie Edge Rusher "Shocked' Coaches at Tryouts
(Eric Canha)
Don't be surprised if you see a few undrafted rookie free agents stick around with the New England Patriots come time for the regular season. There is a lot of talent in the pool right now in that area for the team.
After the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots scooped up a long list of UDFAs to help potentially fill some voids on the team in 2026. The team had two roster spots open for someone to come in and make the team; one of them was edge rusher Xavier Holmes.
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Holmes apparently impressed at rookie camp back in May, so much so that the team offered him a spot on their 90-man roster. His position coach, Mike Smith, believes that there is a diamond in the rough when it comes to this edge rusher.
"He's one that shocked me," Smith said. "You know, those guys that just get that tryout, not a priority free agent. I mean, that's a tough deal to do and to make it. But what I saw from him, a bigger guy that can move. He's got some athletic ability, more than people think. Running his tail off to the ball. He's in there asking questions, asking good questions. I get a feeling in my stomach sometimes. Not always right. Nobody's (always) right. But there's something about him that I like, and there's something about him that he seems tough."
Head coach Mike Vrabel even sees potential in Holmes. So much so that Vrabel even simply calls him "X." That has to mean something when your head coach already has a nickname for you.
"X was a productive college player," Mike Vrabel said. "There's a lot of reasons guys fall through the draft or maybe don't sign as a free agent. He came here. You're just looking for little things. Are they coachable? They make a mistake, and can they correct it? You look at effort, you look at skill set. Sometimes when they're doing the drills, X was able to do that. Most of the guys, you have to do something to kind of stand out, and he did that."
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Holmes' arrival in Foxborough comes after a collegiate career that was, to say the least, interesting. Holmes played at Maine from 2021 to 2024, where he earned Second Team All-CAA honors, finishing with 72 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles. He then transferred to James Madison, where he shone with 30 tackles, six sacks, and a blocked kick last season.
For now, Holmes has a roster spot, but later this summer, he will compete for a spot on the Patriots' 53-man roster and be part of the 2026 season.
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