Patriots Castoff Makes Way Back To AFC East By Joining Rival

Things didn’t work out for Chase Winovich when the New England Patriots traded the edge rusher to the Cleveland Browns last March.

But perhaps a return to the AFC East will get Winovich going in the right direction again.

The Patriots castoff is back in the division he called home for the first three seasons of his career, as the Miami Dolphins announced Thursday that they signed the 28-year-old to their practice squad.

Winovich signed with the Texans in free agency this offseason, but Houston cut the 2019 third-round pick out of Michigan earlier this week after a lackluster preseason.

Winovich showed promise when he first entered the NFL with the Patriots, compiling 5.5 sacks as a rookie. He matched that mark during his second year in the league but saw a big drop-off in production since then. Winovich primarily played on special teams during his third season with New England, as he played only 14% of the defensive snaps in 2021.

Getting a fresh start last season with the Browns didn’t help Winovich’s cause, either. He tallied just one sack and 20 tackles in eight games.

Winovich isn’t the only former Patriot on Miami’s practice squad. Both offensive lineman Chasen Hines, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and wide receiver Raleigh Webb also help make up the 16-player unit.