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New England Patriots Sign This Undrafted Five Star Recruit Amid a Few Roster Changes
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- New England Patriots Sign This Undrafted Five Star Recruit Amid a Few Roster Changes
(Bob Donnan)
The New England Patriots made some interesting roster moves this week. On Wednesday, it was announced that the Patriots have signed undrafted rookie free agent Travis Shaw and released long snapper Niko Lalos .
Lalos signed with the Patriots back on March 16th, 2026. His signing had many pondering if there was a competition at the position this offseason between Lalos and the Pats' current LS Julian Ashby .
Lalos went undrafted in 2020 out of Dartmouth before the Giants picked him up, where he was originally a defensive end. Lalos recorded six tackles, one fumble recovery, and one interception. After his stint in the Meadowlands, he then had a few stints with the New Orleans Saints and a spring in the XFL with the Seattle Sea Dragons. Shortly after, he switched to long snapper.
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Travis Shaw becomes the 15th rookie free agent to sign with the New England Patriots this offseason. Shaw began his college career at the University of North Carolina from 2022 to 2024 before transferring to Texas in 2025.
The 6-foot-5, 334 lb defensive tackle played in a total of 50 games between both the Tar Heels and the Longhorns. The five-star recruit would then go unselected back in April at the NFL draft. Shaw totaled 68 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, to go with four batted passes and two fumble recoveries over that span.
Lalos' release was a clear move to make room for Shaw, as the roster still currently sits at 91 players going into the summer.
As mentioned above, Shaw is now the fifteenth UDFA to sign with the team. He now joins other names like running back Myles Montgomery; wide receivers Jimmy Kibble, Nick DeGennaro, Kyle Dixon, and Cameron Dorner; tight end Tanner Arkin; offensive linemen JonDarius Morgan and Jacob Rizy; defensive tackle David Blay Jr., linebacker Khalil Jacobs; as well as defensive backs Channing Canada and Kenneth Harris; outside linebacker Xavier Holmes; and safety Peter Manuma.
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It's going to be a long summer. A lot can happen for the names above, including Shaw and Lalos, for that matter. Teams have the next three months to reduce their rosters from 91 to 53 players. The deadline for that is Tuesday, August 25th, at 4 pm ET.
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