The New England Patriots tried out outside linebackers Victor Dimukeje and Eric Watts on Tuesday, according to a report from Pats Pulpit. The evaluation came before the Patriots’ trip to Buffalo for their Week 4 game against the undefeated Bills. At the time of the report, neither player had signed with New England.
Pats Pulpit also reported that the Patriots had two open spots on the 53-man roster and one opening on the practice squad. Those openings gave the team room to consider options, but a tryout is not a transaction. The report did not confirm that either player would be added. It described the two as free agents brought in for an evaluation, leaving the outcome of that visit unresolved.
The Patriots Edge Rushers Tryout Came at a Notable Time
The timing drew attention after New England’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pats Pulpit reported that the Patriots had four edge defenders on the active roster and two on the practice squad, and that only three edge defenders played against Jacksonville. That context helps explain why the team might look at outside options, though it does not establish that a signing was necessary or imminent.
Within the group that played, Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas handled a bulk of New England’s defensive snaps, while Jose Ramirez checked in late in the 35-6 loss. The report also noted that practice-squad players Xavier Holmes and Benton Whitley were not promoted for the game. Those details offer a snapshot of how the available edge group was used that week, but they do not establish how the Patriots would distribute snaps in Buffalo.
Other roster circumstances also formed part of the picture. Dre’Mont Jones missed the Jaguars game with a shoulder injury, while Harold Landry and Quintayvious Hutchins were on the PUP and injured reserve lists, respectively. The report said they were eligible to return after Weeks 4 and 6. Eligibility to return is not confirmation that either player would be activated, and the report did not say that their status determined the tryouts.
For Patriots fans, the tryouts are a reason to watch the roster rather than assume a move is coming. New England could use its open spots in different ways, and the report did not say which player, if either, stood out during the evaluation. The team was preparing to travel to Buffalo for a Sunday game against an undefeated opponent, but the report did not connect either tryout directly to a planned role for that matchup.
What Victor Dimukeje Would Bring to the Patriots
Dimukeje entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick from Duke in 2021. According to the Pats Pulpit report, he appeared in 55 games with the Arizona Cardinals over four seasons and recorded 67 tackles and four sacks. The report described him as a part-time edge rusher and a four-unit special-teams player in Arizona, providing some context on the different ways he had been used during his career.
The report also said the 26-year-old joined the New York Giants in 2025 and played in five games, with injuries limiting his season. His subsequent stint with the San Francisco 49ers ended earlier in September, when the team released him with an injury settlement. Pats Pulpit listed him at 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds. Those facts describe his previous stops and experience, rather than a confirmed assessment of how he might fit in New England.
That background gives the Patriots a player with NFL experience to evaluate, including past work on special teams as well as defense. It does not, by itself, show how New England would use him or whether he is a fit. Any discussion of a possible role remains speculation unless the team makes a roster move and provides more information.
What Eric Watts Would Bring to the Patriots
Watts played college football at UConn and entered the NFL as a rookie free agent in 2024. Pats Pulpit reported that he appeared in 18 games with the New York Jets over two seasons and made 23 tackles. The report also said the Jets released him in August with an injury settlement.
The report listed Watts, 25, at 6-foot-5 and 277 pounds. His NFL experience to that point came with the Jets, and the tryout gave the Patriots an opportunity to evaluate him after his release. The source did not provide further detail about the evaluation, his health, or what New England might ask him to do if it signed him.
Those details outline his recent NFL background, but they do not confirm the Patriots’ assessment of him. His tryout should not be treated as evidence that he has earned a place on the roster or that the team has made a decision about his potential role.
What the Report Confirms About New England’s Options
The most useful takeaway from the report is the distinction between an evaluation and a signing. It named two players who attended tryouts and described open roster spots, but it did not confirm a transaction or say that either player would be available for the Bills game. A tryout gives a team a chance to assess a player; it does not guarantee a contract or a spot on the active roster.
The report also said Dre’Mont Jones missed the Jaguars game with a shoulder injury. It did not establish his availability for the Buffalo matchup. Rather than draw conclusions about the full depth chart or specific players’ roles, fans should treat that as the extent of the reported injury update.
Likewise, the reported openings gave New England options but did not indicate what the team planned to do with them. The 53-man roster and practice squad are separate places to add players, and the report identified space in both without saying where either tryout participant might fit. No transaction was confirmed in the report.
For more context on the position, see our Patriots Draft Analysis Edge Rushers.
Fan Takeaway Before the Bills Game
The tryouts are a sensible opportunity for the Patriots to assess outside-linebacker options, especially with roster openings reported at the time. But they are not proof that New England has identified a solution or that either player will contribute against Buffalo. The report does not confirm a signing, a special-teams role, or a specific plan for the matchup.
The broader context is that several edge defenders were either not used against Jacksonville or were unavailable, while a small group took the defensive snaps. That helps explain why two outside linebackers might be evaluated, but it cannot establish the team’s motivation beyond what was reported or predict who will play in Week 4.
For now, the clearest fan takeaway is to watch for an official transaction. Until one is announced, Dimukeje and Watts remain tryout participants—not Patriots roster additions. The tryout report provides information about the team’s options at that moment, not a final depth chart for the game in Buffalo.
Source: Pats Pulpit reported the tryouts and related roster context in “Patriots try out 2 edge rushers ahead of Bills game.” Roster and injury details in this article reflect that report’s publication-time context.
