Patriots, per report, waive defensive tackle Eric Gregory as 53-man deadline nears

The New England Patriots were reportedly expected to make another roster adjustment at the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline, with Yahoo Sports reporting that the team is waiving defensive tackle Eric Gregory ahead of the cut to the active roster. The deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET Sunday, a point in the league calendar when teams finalize who will be eligible for the regular season and who will be released, placed on practice squads, or made available to other clubs via waivers.

For a player on the bubble, the waiver process is often the main hinge. When a team waives a player, other teams have an opportunity to claim him within the waiver window. If no team claims the player, the original club can then look at the next step, most commonly bringing him back to the practice squad if he is eligible. That means a decision labeled as a “waive” can still preserve a pathway to staying in the organization’s orbit, depending on how the league rules apply to the player’s experience and the Patriots’ roster needs.

The Patriots’ decision, as described in the report, adds to the churn that typically surrounds late August roster construction. By the time teams reach the final roster cut, every remaining spot on the defensive front carries value, not just for game-day roles but also for special teams depth and practice-week matchups. Defensive tackles, in particular, can serve as run-stoppers, interior pass-rushers, or rotational bodies that keep other linemen fresh, and the pecking order often becomes clearer only once teams fully sort through their preseason workloads and practice performance.

The report also frames Gregory’s situation as a “claim from last August returning to the wire,” which suggests the player’s roster status has been under evaluation through multiple offseason cycles. In NFL terms, that kind of history often indicates a player who has shown flashes in drills or certain game situations but has not yet secured a permanent role on the 53-man roster. For teams, that makes the player a practical option to evaluate again when the roster math tightens late in training camp.

New England now faces the broader roster ripple effects that can come with waiver decisions. Even if Gregory does not end up claimed, the move can clear a roster spot for another player or consolidate the Patriots’ depth chart at tackle. If another club claims him, the league-wide competition shifts, and the player’s next opportunity would be determined by how that new team plans to use him in the rotation and on special teams during the opening weeks.

What to watch next is confirmation and follow-through: whether the Patriots’ personnel department finalizes the waiver by the official deadline, whether any claims are filed, and where Gregory lands if he clears waivers. It is also worth tracking how New England’s defensive line composition looks immediately after roster cuts, since the Patriots’ internal choices at tackle and other interior spots can report what they prioritize for early-season matchups. Until official transaction details are confirmed, this remains a reported move, not a finalized, verified transaction.