As part of cutting their roster from 90 to the regular-season maximum of 53 ctive players, the New England Patriots released running back D.J. Foster yesterday. Due to the move, Foster was exposed to the waiver wire and free to be claimed by the NFL's other 31 teams.
However, according to the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe, this did not happen and the second-year pro will instead return to New England:
D.J. Foster cleared waivers and will return to the Patriots on the practice squad.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) September 3, 2017
Getting Foster onto their practice squad has to be considered a success for the Patriots. After all, the 23-year old former undrafted rookie free agent effectively is New England's top emergency option at the receiving back position. In case James White, Dion Lewis or Rex Burkhead were lost to injury for an extended period of time, Foster would likely serve as the next man down the depth chart.
During the preseason, the versatile running back led the Patriots in rushing attempts (30) and yards (92) and scored a touchdown. He added another score through the air and caught a total of 13 passes for 150 yards. Having a player like that as an additional layer of depth on the scout team is certainly a plus.