Patriots Re-Sign OL Ben Brown, Add UDFA LB Erick Hunter to Roster
New England filled both open 53-man roster spots Tuesday, bringing back a lineman with 14 career starts and grabbing an undrafted linebacker.
Interior depth signing with no standalone fantasy value right now.
- Brown started 10 games at center in 2024
- Brown added 4 starts at guard last season
- Patriots had 2 open spots on 53-man roster
- Hunter went undrafted out of Morgan State this spring
- 4 players added to New England's practice squad
The Patriots closed out Tuesday's roster shuffle by re-signing offensive lineman Ben Brown and adding undrafted linebacker Erick Hunter, filling both of the open 53-man spots left over from Monday's cuts. Because those two moves matched the two vacancies, New England needed no corresponding transactions to stay compliant.
Brown isn't a stranger to real snaps. He started 10 games at center in 2024 and logged four more starts at guard last season, giving him 14 career starts across two interior spots. That positional flexibility is exactly why he's back in the building.
For the offensive line room, Brown joins Walter Rouse and Greg Van Roten as insurance along the interior. None of that is glamorous, but a swing player who can slide to center or guard is the kind of body every team wants stashed for Week 1.
Hunter's path is a longer shot. He signed with the Lions after going undrafted out of Morgan State this spring, didn't stick, and now gets a fresh look in New England's linebacker corps. Undrafted-to-53 is a real accomplishment, but it usually means special teams reps and roster churn, not defensive snaps.
New England also stocked the practice squad, adding linebacker K.J. Britt, defensive tackle Jalen Hunt, offensive lineman Jake Kubas and linebacker Jose Ramirez to round out the day.
The Fantasy Fallout
Let's be blunt: none of these names move the needle for your lineup this week. Offensive linemen don't score fantasy points, and a bottom-of-the-roster linebacker won't either. The only indirect read is that New England is prioritizing interior line depth, which is a quiet positive for the run game and for any Patriots skill players you're rostering.
Keep Brown and Hunter on the watch-and-ignore pile for now. There's no add here, no drop to make room, and nothing to start or sit. If injuries hit the Patriots' line and Brown steps into a starting role, it could nudge the rushing outlook — but until then, this is roster housekeeping, not a fantasy event.
