What members of the Patriots have practice squad eligibility?

As the team-building process kicks into high gear, I've gotten a lot of questions as to which players are practice-squad eligible and who isn't. Here are some details as to who can make it and who can't.

Below are the criteria for six of the ten players:



1. A player who has not accrued a season of NFL experience is eligible for the practice squad. (e.g. a rookie).

2. A free agent who was active (46-man game-day roster) for fewer than nine games during their accrued season(s) is eligible for the practice squad.

3. A player cannot be on a practice squad for a third season unless his team has a full 53-man roster.

Note that a player must have a minimum of six games – up from the current three games – on a Practice Squad in order for that season to count as one of the player’s three permissible seasons of Practice Squad service.

Four of the ten players can have up to two accrued seasons of free agency credit. Absent this exception, a player who has earned one or more accrued seasons would not be eligible for a Practice Squad unless the player spent fewer than nine games on a club’s 46-player active list in each of his accrued seasons.

Note: A credited season determines the minimum salary of a player with X numbers of credited seasons. An accrued season determines when a player reaches free agency. If a player at the end of his contract has three accrued seasons, he will become a restricted free agent. If he has four or more accrued seasons to his credit, he will become an unrestricted free agent. A player needs six games to get credit for an accrued season; three games to get credit for a credited season. Games on Injured Reserve count in the accrued season calculation, but do NOT count in the credited season calculation.

Reminder: In order to be placed onto the Patriots practice squad, the player MUST FIRST clear waivers.

This year practice squad players will be paid a minimum of $7,600 a week, an increase from $7,200 last year. $7,600 * 10 players * 17 weeks= $1,292,000. Each and every year a few players on the Patriots practice squad will receive more than minimum. In 2017 the Patriots ended the season with nine players making more than the minimum:

1. Ryan Lewis: $27352.94


2. James Ferentz: $15,000


3. Trevor Reilly: $15,000


4. Cody Hollister: $10,000


5. Damarius Travis: $10,000


6. David Jones: $10,000


7. Jomal Wiltz: $10,000


8. Riley McCarron: $10,000


9. Will Tye: $10,000

1. CB Jonathan Jones: Two accrued seasons


2. LB Elandon Roberts: Two accrued seasons


3. LG Joe Thuney: Two accrued seasons


4. C Ted Karras: Two accrued seasons


5. LB Nicholas Grigsby: Two practice squad seasons


6. DT Adam Butler: One accrued season


7. TE Jacob Hollister: One accrued season


8. DE Deatrich Wise: One accrued season


9. DE Keionta Davis: No accrued seasons


10. DE Derek Rivers: One accrued season


11. RB Sony Michel: Rookie


12. CB Duke Dawson Rookie


13. LB Ja'whaun Bentley: Rookie


14. CB Keion Crossen: Rookie


15. TE Ryan Izzo: Rookie


16. J.C. Jackson: Rookie

1. WR Bernard Reedy: one practice squad season


2. DE Caleb Kidder: one accrued season


3. WR Chris Lacy: Rookie


4. OT Antonio Garcia (rookie): No accrued seasons


5. OT Andrew Jelks: No accrued seasons


6. TE Troy Niklas: Two accrued seasons


7. WR Malcolm Mitchell: Two accrued seasons


8. CB Cyrus Jones: Two accrued seasons


9. C Eric Lee: Two practice squad seasons


10. LB Harvey Langi: One accrued season


11. OL Cole Croston: One accrued season


12. CB Jomal Wiltz: One practice squad season


13. WR Devin Lucien: Two practice squad seasons


14. WR Paul Turner: One practice squad season


15. CB Ryan Lewis: One practice squad season


16. WR Riley McCarron: One practice squad season


17. C James Ferentz: Two accrued seasons and two practice-squad seasons


18. S Damarius Travis: One practice squad season


19. S Jason Thompson: One practice squad season


20. G Jason King: One practice squad season


21. RB Ralph Webb: Rookie


22. A.J. Moore: Rookie


23. Chris Lacy: Rookie


24. QB Danny Etling: Rookie


25. DT Frank Herron: Rookie


26. Trent Harris: Rookie


27. John Atkins: Rookie


28. Corey Bojorquez: Rookie


29. Henry Poggi: Rookie


30. DT Vincent Valentine: Two accrued seasons

1. WR Darren Andrews: Reserve NFI (Non-Football Injury)


2. WR Cody Hollister: Reserve NFI


3. TE Will Tye: Injured Reserve


4. OT Ulrick John: Injured Reserve


5. OT Isaiah Wynn: Injured Reserve


6. LB Christian Sam: Injured Reserve


7. WR Braxton Berrios: Injured Reserve