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Two jersey number changes revealed for Patriots' roster
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- Two jersey number changes revealed for Patriots' roster
The New England Patriots revealed one jersey number change and one new number on Thursday, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.
Tight end C.J. Dippre will now be wearing the No. 81 jersey, while Patriots newcomer, long snapper Niko Lalos , will be wearing No. 62. The No. 81 jersey came free after veteran tight end Austin Hooper left the Patriots in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons .
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For Dippre, it was an opportunity to claim the same number that he wore during his collegiate run at the University of Alabama.
Lalos signed with the Patriots on Monday after a successful workout with the team. He is expected to provide competition on special teams for long snapper Julian Ashby .
Both of these players will have an opportunity to earn key roles in the 2026 season.
The Patriots are in dire need of youth at the tight end position behind Hunter Henry , and Dippre will have a chance to compete for that role. Meanwhile, Lalos will try to overtake Ashby as the primary long snapper in New England .
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With that said, even more competition could be on the way with the 2026 NFL Draft a little less than a month away.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Two jersey number changes revealed for Patriots' roster
