The New England Patriots have a new defender.
The New England Patriots have signed Xavier Holmes after the talented defender impressed during his rookie minicamp tryout.
Holmes joins former teammate Nick DeGennaro and fills New England's final roster spot.
For James Madison last season, Holmes put up 14 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and one interception.
The Patriots were fourth in the NFL in points per game allowed last season. Mike Vrabel's team racked up 34 sacks. Holmes should make New England's defense more disruptive in 2026.
Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a player with New England. He is preparing for his second season as head coach of the Patriots after leading them to a 14-3 regular-season record last season, which ended with the Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Patriots cut Stefon Diggs and added Romeo Doubs this offseason. They have been heavily linked to Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown, who could get traded after June 1. Vrabel coached Brown on the Tennessee Titans and the two have a close relationship.
New England star QB Drake Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. He wa second in MVP voting to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
Maye doesn't think the Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal will distract the team next season. Maye spoke to The Associated Press following the Truist Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte, where he was paired with PGA Tour pro Gary Woodland on the back nine at Quail Hollow
"No, I don't," Maye said. "I mean, he's our head coach. I think he's done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I'm just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready."
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