FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots made a few more roster moves on Tuesday, adding a tight end and losing depth up front on the defensive line.
Jason Vega, 26, who originally signed with the Patriots from the CFL on Feb. 19, was released by the team on Tuesday, making room on the 90-man roster for rookie tight end Evan Landi.
Landi was originally signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going undrafted out of South Florida in April. He went through OTAs and minicamp with the Bucs but was released on June 4. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder played both quarterback and wide receiver in college but the Patriots view him as a tight end. He adds depth to the Patriots’ tight end position, as Rob Gronkowski remains on the PUP and fellow rookie Brandon Ford landed on the injured reserve on Tuesday.
Vega, who played two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before signing in New England, spent the entire offseason and the first few weeks of training camp with the Patriots, trying to earn a spot on the roster with his versatility on the defensive line. He suffered a knee injury during Friday’s preseason opener against the Eagles and underwent a MRI on Tuesday. He recorded three tackles during his lone preseason game.
The Patriots may need to find some more defensive line depth now with Vega gone. Veteran lineman Jermaine Cunningham was expected to fill a similar versatile role, playing both on the interior and on the outside, coming into the preseason, but he’s missed nearly two weeks of practices now. So, unless he’s coming back soon, the Patriots will be a bit short on the interior heading into Friday’s game with the Buccaneers.
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Photo via Twitter/@VegaJason
