Patriots WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey Cut; Next Move?

FOXBORO — In a somewhat surprising move, the New England Patriots are parting ways with wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, as confirmed by the NFL’s transaction wire.

Humphrey, 24, initially signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in June. Despite a strong showing during training camp, he was waived during final roster cutdowns, and subsequently signed to New England’s practice squad the next day.

The ex-Texas Longhorn was promoted to the active roster on September 13. In five games with the Patriots, Humphrey caught two passes for 20 yards, while seeing the field for 41 percent of New England’s offensive plays. He took 14 snaps, but was not targeted by rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe in New England’s 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. 

Humphrey originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He spent his first three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, regularly moving between the club’s practice squad and active roster. In total, he appeared in a combined 20 regular season and playoff games, catching 17 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the Saints did not re-sign him in restricted free agency earlier this year. He eventually joined the Patriots three months later.

Despite his late arrival, the 6-4, 225-pound receiver made an immediate impact on the team — at least in preseason: appearing in all three of New England’s exhibition games, Humphrey caught a team-high 13 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. His productivity was not the only reason he appeared to be a dark-horse roster candidate. Humphrey’s frame and blocking ability made him a potential candidate to serve as emergency depth at tight end.

His tough, versatile style of play not only made him a media and fan favorite, it also caught the eye of Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

“He’s a big kid that is tough and has very good hands,” Belichick said of Humphrey following New England’s second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers in August. “He is kind of a big receiver, tight end-ish type of guy, has a good feel, very good instincts in the passing game, handles himself well in the middle of the field with linebackers under him, over him, in between him.”

As of now, however, those qualities have not allowed Humphrey to remain on the active roster. However, he is a realistic candidate to return via the New England practice squad, should he clear waivers. He is still capable of offering experienced depth with current scout team wideouts Lynn Bowden and Tre Nixon.

The Patriots currently feature a depth chart consisting of receivers Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, and rookie Tyquan Thornton on their active roster.

In addition to Humphrey’s release, the Patriots also cut OL Sebastian Gutierrez (who had quite the interesting backstory for his journey to the NFL) from the practice squad.

New England will begin preparations for their Week 6 showdown with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Oct. 16 at FirstEnergy Stadium, when they hit the practice fields on Wednesday. 

Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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