Recently released former Patriots could return to the team before the 2024 season

At this point in the NFL offseason, most teams don't want to add players to their rosters, and there are just over three weeks until the first game of the year kicks off. Rosters are still allowed to contain 90 players and the cut date isn't until August 27, so teams are holding on to their players as long as possible.

This change introduced by the NFL is especially important for teams like the Patriots, who want to give as many players as possible as much time as possible in order to put together a better team than last year, especially on offense.

However, they suffered the loss of Christian Barmore, one of the mainstays of the defense, and just traded Matthew Judon, so the defense may need reinforcements that could be provided by free agents. Fortunately, there are a few players that have already been released by teams well before the roster cut deadline, giving the Patriots the opportunity to bolster their roster if they so choose.

Because this could be a path they take, two former Patriots were released this week who could fill some holes in their roster for the upcoming season.

While they may not be the game-changing players that could take the team to the top, they would provide solid depth and strengthen some weak areas that could become problematic later on.

At the start of free agency, the Patriots decided to trade cornerback/safety Jalen Mills, a veteran of the secondary who signed with the team during the 2021 spending spree. He was an impressive part of a shutdown cornerback team and his versatility proved valuable as the Patriots struggled with injuries or inconsistent play over the past three years.

He signed with the Giants earlier this year, hoping to continue his career in the NFC East he was familiar with, but New York released him on Thursday because of a non-football-related injury. The injury is reportedly not serious and should not be a problem for Mills if he finds a new team.

Although the Patriots are fairly well-stocked at the cornerback position, Jonathan and Marcus Jones have struggled with injuries that have kept them out of action for the entire preseason. Depending on the timing of their return, adding a proven veteran to the team could be beneficial, especially at the safety position.

Another former Patriot the team could sign is nose tackle Carl Davis, who was released by the Cowboys this week. The 32-year-old played in New England from 2020 through the 2022 season and was a key part of the defensive tackle rotation during that time.

With Barmore out for the foreseeable future due to health issues and Judon's absence creating uncertainty on the defensive line, Davis could provide relief with his experience and the leadership of an experienced player.

The same could be said about Lawrence Guy, who was released by the Patriots earlier this year but has yet to sign a contract. The pair may not be the difference-maker players some would like as late additions, but the Patriots need reliable reinforcements to keep their defense a dominant unit this season, and signing Davis and/or Guy or even Mills could do just that.

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