“You can run all of the lists that you run and count them up however you want to count them up. However you want to count them up, I think we’ll be up there pretty high.”
That was Bill Belichick in a November 2017 press conference, discussing the number of former New England Patriots under contract around the NFL. The answer at that point in the regular season was 99 players between active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists.
The league’s transaction wire ebbs and flows.
The answer shortly after the draft that previous spring was 91.
And this spring, the tally of past Patriots residing on expanded offseason rosters sits at 114, if including one waiver claim and one trade acquisition whose rights reverted to their previous clubs after physicals were taken.
Which teams feature the most familiar faces entering 2020? The fewest? Here’s the descending list as of May 14.
DETROIT LIONS – 14
- WR Danny Amendola
- WR Chris Lacy
- OT Dan Skipper
- G Caleb Benenoch
- C Russell Bodine
- DT Danny Shelton
- DT John Atkins
- DE Trey Flowers
- DE Frank Herron
- LB Jamie Collins
- LB Christian Sam
- CB Justin Coleman
- CB Darryl Roberts
- S Duron Harmon
Lions general manager Bob Quinn’s cabinet includes four players who were drafted by New England during his tenure as director of pro scouting. A defensive presence is there. And it’s fitting for Detroit head coach Matt Patricia and a staff of Patriots connections that range from Steve Gregory to Tyrone McKenzie to Ty Warren.
MIAMI DOLPHINS – 12
- TE Michael Roberts*
- C Ted Karras
- LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
- LB Trent Harris
- LB Calvin Munson
- LB Elandon Roberts
- LB Kyle Van Noy
- CB Nate Brooks
- CB Ryan Lewis
- CB Jamal Perry
- CB Ken Webster
- S Eric Rowe
Former Patriots defensive play-caller Brian Flores doesn’t have to look far into the rolodex. Neither does former Patriots cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer. Miami’s defense features five linebackers and five defensive backs who made prior stops in New England. As for the other side of the ball, an asterisk can be jotted next to Michael Roberts’ name. The Toledo tight end was traded to the Patriots last May, before a failed physical rescinded the deal.
NEW YORK GIANTS – 7
- RB Dion Lewis
- WR Corey Coleman
- TE Eric Tomlinson
- OT Nate Solder
- OT Cameron Fleming
- OT Eric Smith
- S Nate Ebner
In March, Giants head coach Joe Judge’s roster gained a fixture on special teams from his Foxborough stay in Nate Ebner. The East Rutherford backfield now also has a spot for Dion Lewis, the onetime Patriots futures signing. New England and New York are scheduled to meet again in the preseason finale.
DENVER BRONCOS – 6
- RB Khalfani Muhammad
- WR Kelvin McKnight
- TE Andrew Beck
- OT Calvin Anderson
- DT Mike Purcell
- CB Duke Dawson
Andrew Beck received the highest guarantee of any Patriots undrafted rookie last year, and the hybrid tight end out of Texas would be claimed by the Broncos by Labor Day. New England had traded Duke Dawson, a 2018 second-rounder out of Florida, to the Denver secondary the same weekend.
HOUSTON TEXANS – 6
- WR Brandin Cooks
- WR DeAndre Carter
- WR Chad Hansen
- DT Angelo Blackson
- CB Keion Crossen
- S A.J. Moore
A trio of wide receivers from New England’s past are with head coach Bill O’Brien’s Texans now. And the same goes for Keion Crossen and A.J. Moore, defensive backs from the 2018 Patriots rookie class who have carved out core roles on special teams.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS – 6
- QB Jacoby Brissett
- TE Xavier Grimble
- TE Matt Lengel
- OT Cedrick Lang
- G Jake Eldrenkamp
- CB Kenny Moore
Jacoby Brissett and once-again Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer both started for Indianapolis in 2019. And so did Kenny Moore, a former undrafted nickelback from Valdosta State who earned a $36 million extension with the Colts an offseason ago.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS – 5
- WR Austin Carr
- WR Maurice Harris
- TE Jason Vander Laan
- DT Malcom Brown
- CB Johnson Bademosi
Two wide receivers who caught preseason touchdowns for the Patriots continue on in New Orleans. And Malcom Brown, who got the call at No. 32 overall in the 2015 draft, started every game for the Saints’ defensive line last year.
CHICAGO BEARS – 5
- WR Cordarrelle Patterson
- TE Eric Saubert
- DT Akiem Hicks
- LB Barkevious Mingo
- LB James Vaughters
The Bears signed Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year, $10 million agreement last March and were rewarded with a league-high 825 yards on kickoff returns to go with one touchdown from the perennial All-Pro. Chicago had signed Akiem Hicks, who holds a spot on the franchise’s 100 all-time list, after his 2015 season with the Patriots. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle penned a four-year, $48 million extension with the Bears in 2017.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS – 4
- OT Trent Brown
- G Jordan Devey
- LB Nick Usher
- CB D.J. Killings
GM Mike Mayock’s offensive line is bookended by Trent Brown, the 6-foot-8 Super Bowl LIII starter who signed a four-year, $66 million contract with the Raiders as the 2019 league year opened.
CLEVELAND BROWNS – 4
- QB Garrett Gilbert
- G Colby Gossett
- DE Adrian Clayborn
- LS Charley Hughlett
Adrian Clayborn provided rotational pass rush for the Atlanta-bound 2018 Patriots, and the 31-year-old defensive end returned to the Falcons in 2019. Clayborn is now headed to Cleveland for 2020.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS – 4
- RB Ralph Webb
- WR Amara Darboh*
- LB Christian Kuntz
- CB Mike Hilton
Ralph Webb, an undrafted running back out of Vanderbilt, scored three touchdowns and added a pair of two-point conversions during his rookie Patriots preseason of 2018. Amara Darboh was claimed off waivers by New England during roster cutdowns that same year, before a failed physical nullified the wide receiver’s arrival.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – 4
- TE James O’Shaughnessy
- G Tyler Gauthier
- DE Cassius Marsh
- CB Rashaan Melvin
The Jaguars signed Tyler Gauthier, an undrafted Miami Hurricane, off the Patriots’ practice squad in the final weeks of 2019. Both Cassius Marsh and Rashaan Melvin joined the Jacksonville defense as unrestricted free agents in April.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – 3
- DT Albert Huggins
- LB Alex Singleton
- CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
Alex Singleton, who would go on to earn the Canadian Football League’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award, began 2015 on the Patriots’ practice squad. Cre’Von LeBlanc entered the league as part of New England’s undrafted class the following year. And as for Albert Huggins, the defensive tackle was claimed from Philadelphia this past December only to rejoin the Eagles the following week.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS – 3
- WR Phillip Dorsett
- TE Jacob Hollister
- LS Tyler Ott
Phillip Dorsett is the new name in Seattle, having signed a one-year pact in March after running routes in two Super Bowls with New England. Both Wyoming’s Jacob Hollister and Harvard’s Tyler Ott signed their initial pro contracts with the Patriots as undrafted free agents.
NEW YORK JETS – 3
- WR Braxton Berrios
- OT Conor McDermott
- LB Harvey Langi
Braxton Berrios remained in the AFC East last August after New England placed the 2018 sixth-round wideout on waivers. UCLA’s Conor McDermott and BYU’s Harvey Langi stepped into the league as Patriots prospects in April 2017.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – 3
- TE Stephen Anderson
- OT Tyree St. Louis
- G Cole Toner
Stephen Anderson spent the 2018 campaign between New England’s practice squad and active roster en route to earning a Super Bowl ring. The converted Cal wide receiver now nears his second go-round with the Chargers.
ATLANTA FALCONS – 3
- QB Danny Etling
- K Younghoe Koo
- P Ryan Allen
Danny Etling, Younghoe Koo and Ryan Allen all made their way to the Falcons over the course of the past season. The latter two took on specialist duties in the months after being released from New England’s 90-man roster and practice squad, respectively. Allen remains the longest-tenured punter of the Belichick era.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – 3
- QB Tom Brady
- TE Rob Gronkowski
- C Anthony Fabiano
Brevity is a difficult skill. No reacquainting needed when it comes to the Buccaneers.
TENNESSEE TITANS – 3
- WR Cody Hollister
- G Jamil Douglas
- CB Malcolm Butler
Two Patriots UDFA additions are in the fold for Titans general manager Jon Robinson, director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort and head coach Mike Vrabel. And at cornerback, Malcolm Butler has started 20 games for Tennessee since agreeing to terms on a five-year, $61 million deal in 2018.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS – 2
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo
- K Robbie Gould
The quarterback via Eastern Illinois and the kicker via Penn State made their first NFL stops in New England. One went No. 62 overall in the 2014 draft, while the other signed as a rookie free agent during the final leg of Adam Vinatieri’s reign.
CAROLINA PANTHERS – 2
- WR DeAndrew White
- DT Woodrow Hamilton
DeAndrew White logged his 2016 season on New England’s practice squad up through Super Bowl LI, and the wideout returned for training camp the next summer. A similar timeline was in the cards for Woodrow Hamilton, who signed with the Patriots as a rookie defensive tackle out of Ole Miss and appeared in two regular-season games.
BUFFALO BILLS – 2
- TE Lee Smith
- P Corey Bojorquez
The Patriots turned to Lee Smith in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, and the blocking tight end out of Marshall has checked into 123 career contests dating back to then. As for Corey Bojorquez, whom Buffalo claimed from New England after a hidden 2018 preseason, the New Mexico record-setter has since punted 124 times.
ARIZONA CARDINALS – 2
- RB D.J. Foster
- LB Chandler Jones
D.J. Foster, a rusher-slash-receiver out of Arizona State, joined the Cardinals off New England’s practice squad three years ago. And Chandler Jones, the top pick in the 2012 Patriots draft, has amassed 96 sacks in 119 career games. He stands with a place on the NFL’s All-Decade team.
BALTIMORE RAVENS – 2
- LB L.J. Fort
- S Jordan Richards
The Patriots called upon Jordan Richards in the second round of the 2015 draft, and the Stanford safety made his return this past season before joining Baltimore’s kicking game. As for L.J. Fort, now a Ravens starter with a two-year contract extension, his stint in New England spanned two weeks of training camp.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS – 2
- RB Josh Ferguson
- LB Jon Bostic
The Patriots traded for linebacker Jon Bostic in the fall of 2015, and signed running back Josh Ferguson to the practice squad in the fall of 2018.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – 1
- DT Mike Pennel
Mike Pennel’s 2019 season began in New England and ended in Miami Gardens with the Chiefs. The veteran nose tackle registered 24 tackles and one sack after agreeing to terms with Kansas City in October.
LOS ANGELES RAMS – 1
- CB Troy Hill
The Patriots claimed Troy Hill on Christmas Day in 2015. The rookie corner out of Oregon would be waived and claimed by the Rams five days later. Hill has played in 57 games over the regular seasons since.
DALLAS COWBOYS – 1
- K Kai Forbath
Kai Forbath would be one of four kickers to appear in a game for New England last season, going 1-for-1 on field goals and 1-for-2 on extra points. He’d finish out 2019 having kicked in three games for a Dallas team that also included defensive end Michael Bennett, who is currently a free agent.
GREEN BAY PACKERS – 1
- WR Jake Kumerow
From late October to early November 2017, Jake Kumerow took the field for New England’s scout team. The Wisconsin-Whitewater alum has remained in Green Bay over the years since, catching 20 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns.
CINCINNATI BENGALS AND MINNESOTA VIKINGS – 0
When New England and Cincinnati met in December, the roster ties were on one side of the aisle with running back Rex Burkhead, fullback James Develin, wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse. Elsewhere, former Patriots guard Josh Kline saw 734 offensive snaps for last year’s Vikings and is now a free agent.
A total of 49 reached their first NFL deals with New England as draft choices or original members of the organization’s undrafted.