Patriots Waive Ferentz, Release Mason, Jackson from Practice Squad— What It Means

The New England Patriots made an adjustment to their active roster on Monday.

(No, not THAT one)

As confirmed by the NFL Transaction Wire, New England has waived interior offensive lineman James Ferentz from the 53-man roster. The 32-year-old had appeared in three games and started two this season. Ferentz served as a standard elevation twice, and once served as a COVID-19 replacement for the Patriots. The former Iowa Hawkeye was signed to the active roster on Oct. 27.

Ferentz has been a member of the Patriots organization since 2017, winning two Super Bowl championships. He played in 134 snaps between left and right guard in 2021. Though he was active for both Week Eight and Week Nine, Ferentz did not see any on field action in either game, With the NFL trade deadline having passed last week, Ferentz is now subject to be claimed on waivers, though he is a vested veteran.

Parting with a pair of practice squadders

The Patriots also announced the release of fullback Ben Mason and center Drake Jackson from the practice squad on Monday.

Mason was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft after playing on both sides of the ball and on special teams in 45 games with the Michigan Wolverines. The 22-year-old signed with the Patriots practice squad in September.

Jackson was signed to the Patriots’ practice squad in mid-September. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as a rookie free agent out of the University of Kentucky in May 2021. He was released by Detroit in early August and claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans. The 6-foot-2, 298-pound lineman was released by Houston on Aug. 24.

What It Means for the Patriots:

While news of any Patriots’ roster maneuvering will ignite rumors of Odell Beckham, Jr. being spotted at Logan Airport in Boston, the Pats’ Monday moves were likely made to satisfy some in-house needs. For starters, New England has a few key members of their roster that are soon to be eligible for activation; from either physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) or injured reserve (IR.) Though offensive tackle Trent Brown and edge rusher Chase Winovich may be brought back from IR, both defensive lineman Byron Cowart and quarterback Jarrett Stidham are facing an activation deadline from PUP on Wednesday, November 10. If Stidham and/or Cowart are not activated by then they will revert to PUP for the remainder of the season. The Patriots will need an active roster spot to accommodate such a move. Ferentz’s release puts the Pats roster count at 52, with one open spot.

The releases of both Mason and Jackson reduce the Patriots practice squad from the maximum 16 to 14. Though Mason is a promising young fullback, the Patriots do not have a designated running back on their practice squad. On Sunday, both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson suffered vicious hits at the hands of Panthers’ defenders, as each left the game with head injuries. Should their status be compromised for Sunday’s Week Ten matchup with the Cleveland Browns, the Pats will likely look to add at least one running back to the practice squad mix within the next few days.