The Patriots reportedly are diminishing the depth of one of their weaker position groups with organized team activities in full swing.

New England on Monday informed Andrew Stueber of its plan to waive him, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Stueber, an interior offensive lineman drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, missed his whole rookie season due to a torn hamstring. New England also waived the Michigan product in late August of last year, but he re-signed to the practice squad and inked a reserve/future contract in early January.

With Stueber out of the picture in Foxboro, Mass., — for now — the Patriots have seven guards on their expanded preseason roster. Included are roster locks Cole Strange, Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi, as well as 2024 fourth-round pick Layden Robinson. Strange reportedly will miss the start of the season as he continues to recover from the serious knee injury he sustained last December.

Jerod Mayo and company freed up a roster spot by waiving the 24-year-old Stueber, who never appeared in a regular-season game for New England. Perhaps that vacancy will be filled by the time the Patriots take the practice field Tuesday for their latest set of OTAs.

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