Patriots add rookie lineman Hayden Howerton, veteran punter Michael Palardy to practice squad

The New England Patriots announced the signings of rookie offensive lineman Hayden Howerton and veteran punter Michael Palardy to the practice squad on Tuesday.

Howerton, 23, had joined the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in May. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Southern Methodist product was waived leading up to the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline in August. He logged 98 snaps between left guard, center and right guard in the preseason. A second-team All-AAC selection and an East-West Shrine Game invite, Howerton’s Mustangs tenure spanned 53 starts. His arrival in New England was first reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Palardy, 30, was among four punters recently in for workouts with the Patriots. Undrafted out of the University of Tennessee in 2014, he has made previous NFL stops with the then-Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams as well as the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins. Through 72 career games, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Palardy has averaged 45.2 yards per punt. His career long of 65 was set last season.

In corresponding movement, the Patriots have released outside linebacker Ron’Dell Carter and kicker Tristan Vizcaino from the practice squad.

Carter, 25, joined New England’s scout team midway through October after visiting for a workout the month prior. A Rutgers transfer to James Madison who went undrafted in 2020, the 6-foot-3, 269-pound Carter logged previous stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and Colts. Formerly an FCS All-American and the Colonial Athletic Association’s Defensive Player of the Year, Carter has checked into four NFL contests to handle 43 snaps on defense and 42 snaps on special teams.

Vizcaino, 26, re-signed with the Patriots last week after previously joining the practice squad in September and rejoining in October. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound University of Washington product attended mandatory minicamp on a tryout basis and went 1-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points in the preseason before being waived to conclude August. Undrafted in 2018, Vizcaino has also been a member of the Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers. Over seven career games, he stands 9-for-10 on field goals and 12-for-17 on extra points.

New England hosts Indianapolis for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday at Gillette Stadium.