The Patriots have signed former Giants defensive lineman Casey Rogers in free agency Getty
The New England Patriots are preparing for the 2026 campaign, and there's a lot of optimism surrounding the team. While they didn't exactly have a drama-free offseason, now that the Pats have taken the field for training camp, they look intent on finding a way to build off of their breakout year in 2025.
While training camp is a time for getting the team ready for the season, it also offers the coaching staff an opportunity to unearth some diamonds in the rough. On Monday morning, New England opted to take a flier on a former New York Giants defensive lineman, as it brought Casey Rogers to town on a free-agent deal.
On paper, New England has one of the better defensive tackle duos in Milton Williams and Christian Barmore at their disposal. Add in Cory Durden , who is set to replace the outgoing Khyiris Tonga at nose tackle, and the Pats' interior defensive line would appear to be set in stone. However, the depth behind this group could use work.
While Eric Gregory has flashed early in training camp, and Joshua Farmer has upside the team will look to tap into, extra help could always be used along the defensive line. That's where Rogers, who went undrafted in 2024, could fit into the mix, as he's spent time with the Giants and Buffalo Bills to begin his career.
Rogers has played in just three NFL games through his first two years in the pros, failing to rack up a single noteworthy statistic during his limited time on the field. However, he put together some strong tape with the DC Defenders in the UFL, racking up 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 10 games of action, and that convinced the Patriots to take a closer look at him during their training camp action.
"Source: The Patriots are signing former Giants DT Casey Rogers, son of Cortland State lacrosse head coach Lelan Rogers," NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported in a post on X.
GettyThe Patriots have signed former Giants defensive lineman Casey Rogers in free agency
It's no secret that Rogers faces long odds to crack New England's 53-man roster. Not only is he joining the team late, but he's also part of a position group that is relatively healthy for the time being. That could obviously change in the blink of an eye, but if all goes according to plan, Rogers' best shot of sticking around with the team likely involves finding his way onto the practice squad.
Rogers has experience that could be tapped into, and he has shown he can be a stout run defender who is also capable of getting after the quarterback when he's playing his best football. This isn't a huge addition, but the Pats are doing what they can to cover all of their bases before Week 1 rolls around, so who knows, maybe Rogers ends up making a bigger impact than expected now that he's found his way to town.
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