The Patriots made several transactions on Thursday, including the signing of fourth-round pick Deatrich Wise.
Wise played 50 games as a defensive end at Arkansas and finished his time with the Razorbacks with 116 tackles, 16.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He joins a defensive line that also includes another former Arkansas player in Trey Flowers and will vie for a spot in the rotation in the coming months.
The Patriots also signed offensive lineman James Ferentz and undrafted rookie tight end Sam Cotton. Ferentz played in 21 games for the Broncos over the last two seasons while Cotton caught 17 passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns at Nebraska. The Patriots parted ways with Rob Housler this week, opening a spot in their tight end group.
Offensive lineman Chris Barker was waived to round out the team’s moves on Thursday. He’s spent parts of the last four seasons with the team and has played in six regular season games.