Patriots Address Big Roster Hole With New Punter

The New England Patriots have fill up some holes on their roster and they have just signed a punter. Head coach Bill Belichick addressed a major need for the team. It was an expected move and the Patriots are happy with the final outcome.

Mike Reiss from ESPN reported that the Patriots used free agent Corliss Waitman to fill the empty spot on their roster. Jake Bailey is gone now and the Patriots needed someone to take his position. New England released the player and he joined the Miami Dolphins.

Waitman left a hole on the Denver Broncos roster, too. The team signed Riley Dixon on Tuesday, meaning everyone got what they needed from the most recent transactions. Waitman also spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Patriots added familiar punter to their roster

The Patriots were looking for strong players and Waitman seemed like a perfect opportunity for the team. Waitman is not a stranger. He spent some time on the Patriots practice unit in 2021. Belichick was happy to add a familiar name. Waitman is a great player and also kicks with his left foot. This makes him a reasonable option for the Patriots.

Waitman was brilliant in 2022. He didn’t miss a beat with the Broncos and also led the league in punts with 96. The newly added Patriots punter ranked second in punting yards with 4,470. Ryan Stonehouse ranked first with 4,779. NFL fans remember Waitman’s highlight in Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

The Patriots didn’t give Waitman a chance to play in the regular season. Bailey did the job and now he is gone. Now is the perfect time for Waitman to show his talent and give the Patriots a reason to keep him around for a while.

Waitman is relatively healthy and his performance last season has earned him a ticket to New England.

Belichick is super busy at the moment and he may be easily looking for another punter. It’s a long offseason after all.