As the New England Patriots continue to whittle their way down to 53 players ahead of Sunday’s roster cut deadline, they’ve also added a player.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots have traded a 2028 seventh round draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals for second-year running back Corey Kiner. This move will likely solidify Kiner’s spot on the Patriots’ roster as the third running back, slotting in behind incumbent starters Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
An undrafted rookie last season with the 49ers, Kiner, 24, played in four games last season with the Cardinals. He ran for 58 yards on 12 carries, and added 22 yards on kick return, and the Cincinnati/LSU alum was most likely getting cut this weekend.
Instead, the Patriots make sure to get him before the waiver wire picks up. The Patriots currently have the 31st waiver claim spot.
So what does this mean for the rest of the Patriots’ running back room?
What Can Kiner Bring To Patriots’ Offense?
Well, it might signal some cuts coming for the players who spent the summer in New England. At the time of the trade, Jam Miller, Lan Larison, JaMycal Hasty and Hassan Haskins were the backups fighting for the RB3 role. All four of them had shining moments in camp, but it was clear that no true winner had emerged.
When the Patriots officially announced the Kiner trade, they also announced that they had released Haskins in a corresponding move. Additionally, a source told Patriots On SI that the team planned to release Hasty. The plan is to have Hasty return on the practice squad next week.
This past summer, the 5-foot-9 Kiner ran the ball 39 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He was a solid back for Arizona’s summer offense, and would have eventually landed on a roster through either waivers or the practice squad.
Kiner won’t be getting the majority of the carries in New England, but if Henderson’s ankle injury (which he suffered last week in practice) continues to limit him, Kiner could be in for a larger role earlier than expected.
He also forced nine missed tackles in the preseason, while also chipping in as a receiver He caught five passes for 28 yards, something that the Patriots tend to ask their third running backs to do often.
In my recent 53-man roster projection, I had the Patriots just keeping two backs on the roster — and had the rest of the group return on the practice squad in an extended tryout. Now, that seems out the window with Kiner in the picture.
With the addition of Kiner, reports have the Patriots currently with 74 players on the roster. They’ll need to trim down to 53 by Sunday at 6 p.m. Larison and Miller remain on the roster for now, and could stick around as a potential RB4.
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