The New England Patriots held rookie minicamp at the end of last week, and apparently, some players impressed enough to earn roster spots.
New England signed running back Terrell Jennings, offensive lineman Ryan Johnson, linebacker Jay Person and defensive end Jotham Russell. To make room for all four, they also released running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn.
Vaughn, 27, spent 2020-23 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, appearing in 43 games for the team and totaling 384 yards and two scores for them on the ground. He signed with New England's practice squad last season but never played in a game.
Russell, 20, is part of the NFL's International Pathway Program that brought the Patriots Jakob Johnson in the past, so he won't count toward the 90-man roster. Coming from Australia, he's a rugby player attempting to make it into the league.
Jennings rushed for 1,754 yards and 24 touchdowns in his collegiate career, Johnson showed versatility playing both tackle and guard while Person totaled 228 tackles (56 for a loss), 27 sacks, nine forced fumbles, five passes defensed and three fumble recoveries during his time at Chattanooga and Appalachian State.
All of them will be long shots to make the roster, but if they can continue to impress like they clearly did at minicamp, they could earn spots.
