2020 NFL roster cuts: Patriots fan Jake Burt released by the team

Slowly but steadily, the New England Patriots are approaching the 53-man roster limit. After already parting ways with 16 players earlier today, they have now added another tight end to those being let go: undrafted rookie Jake Burt, who grew up a Patriots fan and spent his whole life in Massachusetts, has been waived.

TE Jake Burt

Burt entered the league coming off an injury-shortened 2019 campaign that saw him break his collarbone in a late-November game against Notre Dame. Up until that point, he had appeared in 36 games for the Eagles while being used primarily as a blocker within the team’s run-first offense.

While his role resulted in some rather pedestrian receiving statistics — Burt caught just 23 passes during his time with the program for a combined 307 yards and two touchdowns — the Patriots apparently saw some potential to work with. The team picked him up as a rookie free agent to compete for a backup spot on its young tight end depth chart. He may have failed to earn one, but looks like a practice squad candidate.