Perry Knotts/Getty Images The newest Patriot was a popular name when released by the Eagles. The New England Patriots made a move on the NFL waiver wire ahead of their Week 14 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team successfully submitted a claim to bring linebacker and special teamer Christian Elliss aboard, eventually adding him to their 53-man roster the following day. It turns out, Elliss was quite popular after his release from the Philadelphia Eagles. According to a report by ESPN’s Field Yates, five other teams besides New England also put in waiver claims in hopes of bringing him aboard. The then-2-10 Patriots had the highest priority among those clubs, however, sitting in No. 2 behind only the Carolina Panthers. This allowed them to beat out the third-ranked Arizona Cardinals (3-10), eighth-ranked Tennessee Titans (4-8), 15th-ranked Denver Broncos (6-6), 19th-ranked Atlanta Falcons (6-6), and 31st-ranked Miami Dolphins (9-3). Only if a player goes unclaimed through the waiver wire entirely does he become a street free agent eligible to sign with a team of his choosing. For the Patriots, their position in the waiver claim order — a result of their bad record — has now allowed them to successfully submit a claim two straight times. Back in mid-November, they successfully beat out the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans to bring running back JaMycal Hasty aboard. In total, the team now has claimed five players off waivers this year. New England also previously added wide receiver Thyrick Pitts, defensive tackle Marquan McCall and quarterback Matt Corral that way. All three were later released again, while Hasty himself also has yet to appear in a game since joining the organization. When it comes to Elliss, his outlook appears to be more favorable not just because he became a popular player the moment he was put on waivers by the Eagles. The Patriots, after all, have been lacking in the kicking game this season; adding the 24-year-old to the mix alongside core special teamers Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler, Cody Davis and Chris Board might help stabilize the unit. The same day Elliss was claimed, New England gave up a blocked punt in its 21-18 win over the Steelers. The player who was unable to hold his block long enough to allow for the play to unfold the way it did — running back/wing Ty Montgomery — was released the following day to open up a spot on the roster for the newest Patriot. Elliss and the rest of the team will host the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium this coming Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/2023/12/11/2 ... ff-waivers
