Brenden Schooler of the New England Patriots. Getty
The New England Patriots released outside linebacker Jose Ramirez on Tuesday, leaving two open 53-man roster spots with Pro Bowl special teams standout Brenden Schooler eligible to return.
With the 3-1 Las Vegas Raiders visiting Sunday, the Patriots must decide whether the first available roster spot goes to their special-teams captain or someone else.
The club also signed rookie cornerback Al'Zillion Hamilton to the practice squad and cut rookie practice-squad offensive lineman Da'Metrius Weatherspoon, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. Those moves do not change the 53-man count.
"I'd bet Brenden Schooler fills one," according to MassLive's Mark Daniels, who counted two open spots.
Hamilton, a Hayward, California, native, went undrafted out of Fresno State after 54 games and 35 starts over five seasons. He finished with eight interceptions and 26 passes defensed, according to the Patriots' announcement .
Weatherspoon, 23, stands 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds. He started all 12 games at Syracuse in 2025, 11 at right tackle, after transferring from Howard, according to his Patriots profile . The Buffalo Bills signed him in May and released him Aug. 30 before he spent six days on New England's practice squad.
GettyBrenden Schooler of the New England Patriots.
The team gave no reason for the release of Ramirez from the 53-man roster. Ramirez joined the practice squad Sept. 1 and moved to the 53-man roster Sept. 23 when safety Dell Pettus went on injured reserve, according to Pats Pulpit .
Edge depth was thin at the time, with Dre'Mont Jones nursing a shoulder injury and Quintayvious Hutchins on injured reserve with a knee injury. Coach Mike Vrabel said Ramirez was "a really good practice player" who had improved, as quoted by the team's website .
Ramirez played at Jacksonville and Buffalo in Weeks 3 and 4, recording one tackle on eight defensive snaps and 22 special-teams snaps. The release came on the first day Schooler became eligible for activation. Reiss added that Ramirez could return to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Ramirez, 27, was a sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, No. 196 overall, after stops at Arizona, Riverside City College and Eastern Michigan. He later played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in January and was waived Aug. 30. His NFL resume totals six games and one tackle.
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Schooler opened the season on reserve/non-football injury with a back issue and missed training camp. His practice window opened Sept. 23, according to Pats Pulpit .
NFL rules bar players on the list from activation until after the team's fourth game, making Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game against the Raiders his first eligible date.
Schooler, 29, went undrafted out of Texas and signed with New England in May 2022. He earned a three-year extension and first-team All-Pro special-teams honors in 2024.
Activation is not official, and the 21-day window does not require it. Reiss noted offensive tackle Marcus Bryant is also eligible to begin practicing. Schooler is the favorite to fill a spot before Sunday.
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This article was originally published on HEAVY
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