How does the waiver wire work, and what does it mean for the Patriots?

Posted by Admin August 28, 2024 NFL

Spread the love

The New England Patriots trimmed their 2024 roster from 89 to 53 players over the last two days. While some of them were placed on injury lists, a majority — 30 of 36 — were simply cut.

Not ever cut is the same, however: the NFL differentiates between so called vested veterans and those with less experience on their respective résumés. Whereas the former group immediately entered the open market, all the players in the latter will pass through the waiver wire to either end up on another team or as free agents.

What exactly does all of this mean for the Patriots and the NFL’s other 31 teams, though? Let’s find out.

How does the NFL waiver wire work?

The waiver wire allows teams to submit claims for qualifying players that have previously been cut by other teams, including most of the 30 let go by the Patriots on Monday and Tuesday. Organizations usually have 24 hours to do so, but the window is a bit shorter on cutdown day: with final cuts taking place at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, teams only have until noon Wednesday to submit claims to a player’s rights.

If a player does get claimed, he moves onto a team’s active 53-man roster. As a result, that team will need to have an open spot on its roster, or otherwise create one; they usually have an hour to do so after receiving the league’s personnel notice that players have been claimed.

Who is placed on waivers?

Players with less than four accrued seasons need to pass through the waiver wire in order to become unrestricted free agents. The NFL defines an accrued season as six or more games on either a team’s 53-man roster, injured reserve, or the physically unable to perform list.

All players meeting those criteria that were cut before Tuesday’s deadline have since hit the waiver wire and are subject to being claimed by other teams. Clubs can use as many claims as they like, but roster and salary cap limitations obviously need to be considered: you cannot have more than 53 men on your active team, or spend more than the salary cap allows.

What is the waiver claim order?

For the first three weeks of the season, teams submit claims based on the draft order. The worst team in the league from last season is therefore able to put in a claim first, followed by the second-worst, and so on. Naturally, traded or forfeited selections are not considered — the original draft order established by last year’s standings comes into play.

The Patriots are in a good position after ending the previous season with a 4-13 record: they will have third priority.

So, how does it work? For example, if the third-ranked Patriots and fourth-ranked Cardinals are the lone teams to put in a claim for a player, he will end up in New England due to the organization’s superior ranking. The team with the lowest bid will always end up with the player.

As noted above, the waiver claim order will be changed after the third week of the regular season. At that point, it will be based on the league-wide standings and adapted weekly throughout the rest of the season, until a new draft order is set after the Super Bowl.

Which Patriots were placed on waivers?

Of the 30 players let go by New England on Monday and Tuesday, 28 are subject to waivers based on their experience — or lack thereof — in the league:

LS Tucker Addington, WR Kawaan Baker, S Joshuah Bledsoe, DE William Bradley-King, DT Josiah Bronson, LB Steele Chambers, OT Kellen Diesch, RB Deshaun Fenwick, OL Liam Fornadel, RB Kevin Harris, CB Azizi Hearn, OT Zuri Henry, RB Terrell Jennings, ED Kobe Jones, WR Matt Landers, OL Atonio Mafi, ED Christian McCarroll, TE La’Michael Pettway, DE Sam Roberts, ED Jotham Russell, K Chad Ryland, S A.J. Thomas, OL Charles Turner III, CB Mikey Victor, CB Shaun Wade, WR David Wallis, TE Jacob Warren, QB Bailey Zappe

Over the last six years, New England saw a total of 12 players claimed off waivers. As for those who were not picked up, several of them ended up on the Patriots’ practice squad.

Which Patriots were not placed on waivers?

Players with more than four accrued seasons as defined by the criteria mentioned above will not have to go through the waiver system. A total of two such vested veterans were let go by the Patriots on Tuesday:

LB Joe Giles-Harris, TE Mitchell Wilcox

Both Joe Giles-Harris and Mitchell Wilcox are free to sign with other teams right away. Obviously, though, there is a chance that one or both of them return to New England at a later point.