The Patriots signed rookie tight end CJ Dippre to their 53-man roster Monday.
The move comes in a series of transactions that also saw the Patriots waive rookie safety John Saunders Jr., sign linebacker Otis Reese to their practice squad and place linebacker Darius Harris on practice squad injured reserve.
Dippre, 23, has spent the entire season on the Patriots’ practice squad, where he has yet to be elevated for a game. The Maryland and Alabama product is the team’s biggest tight end at a listed 6-foot-5, 256 pounds.
Veteran tight end Austin Hooper missed Thursday night’s win over the Jets with a concussion. The Patriots filled his spot on the field by making center/guard Ben Brown eligible as a jumbo tight end. Fullback Jack Westover also played inline.
Saunders was active for Thursday night’s game but didn’t play. Harris has been elevated from the practice squad three times to fill a role on special teams. Reese, 27, spent the 2023 season with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on the Titans. He was most recently on the Bills. It would not be surprising if he wound up filling a special-teams linebacker role previously filled by Harris and Mark Robinson.
Dippre, who joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent, caught 65 passes for 782 yards with three touchdowns in four college seasons.