2022 NFL roster cuts: Undrafted rookies Kody Russey, LaBryan Ray among Patriots’ final moves to 53

The NFL’s 53-man deadline passed Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, and not without last calls for the New England Patriots.

New England waived tight ends Jalen Wydermyer and Matt Sokol, center Kody Russey, offensive tackle Yasir Durant, defensive tackle LaBryan Ray, safety Brad Hawkins and kicker Tristan Vizcaino, per the transaction wire. The organization also released veteran interior lineman James Ferentz.

Wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson and defensive lineman Henry Anderson have been placed on injured reserve to end their 2022 seasons, while defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale has been placed on the suspended list.

Those moves marked the final ones for an active roster that began the morning at 80.

Wydermyer, 21, made his Patriots debut in the preseason finale after originally signing with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M.

Sokol, 26, entered New England’s fold in May and led all tight ends in preseason snaps. The 2019 undrafted arrival out of Michigan State made previous stops with the Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions.

Russey, 23, signed as part of the Patriots’ 2022 undrafted class after becoming a 60-game starter and team captain during a college career that began at Louisiana Tech and ended at Houston.

Durant, 24, had been acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick last August. The 2020 undrafted free agent from Missouri played in eight games for New England’s line in 2021, starting one.

Ray, 24, signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie in May. The former five-star Alabama recruit recorded three quarterback pressures in preseason action along the defensive line, totaling 101 snaps.

Hawkins, 24, was signed by New England as the calendar turned to August after beginning his rookie summer with the Atlanta Falcons. The undrafted defensive back appeared 56 career games across five years at Michigan.

Vizcaino, 26, earned a 90-man roster spot with the Patriots after participating in the team’s mandatory minicamp on a tryout basis. He went undrafted out of Washington in 2018, and has gone 9-for-10 on field goals and 12-for-17 on extra points in the regular season since then.

Ferentz, 33, landed in New England in May 2017 after stints with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. Undrafted out of Iowa in 2014, the two-time Super Bowl champion has appeared in 27 games during his Patriots tenure while starting six.

Wilkerson, 25, sustained a concussion during joint practices with the Carolina Panthers before being placed on IR. The wideout from Southeast Missouri State logged the past two years on New England’s practice squad after first signing with the Tennessee Titans as a rookie free agent. He caught four passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.

Anderson, 31, signed with the Patriots last offseason and saw action in three games before being placed on injured reserve due to a torn pectoral in October. The 2015 third-round pick out of Stanford has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets.

Ekuale, 28, will serve a two-game suspension to begin the fall after serving as an elevation for a team-high seven games last season. Five tackles and two sacks were registered over that span by the 2018 undrafted free agent from Washington State.

The claiming period for non-vested players placed on waivers during the cutdown is set to expire Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET. The formation of 16-man practice squads will follow. Head coach Bill Belichick and director of player personnel Matt Groh rank 21st in the league’s initial priority order.