Patriots Roster Moves: What Releasing WR Kobe Prentice, CB Kenneth Harris Means Going Forward

Heading into their final week of preseason games, the New England Patriots have made several moves to their roster.

The team announced that they've released rookies wide receiver Kobe Prentice and cornerback Kenneth Harris. Both of these moves were to open up roster spots for offensive guard Jack Conley -- first reported by Patriots On SI -- and punter Matt Haack.

Both Prentice and Harris weren't spotted at the team's training camp practice Monday morning.

Prentice, 22, spent this summer with the Patriots after originally signing with the Carolina Panthers. He was claimed off of waivers before training camp and played in both of the Patriots' preseason games as a reserve.

He caught four passes for 47 yards in the Patriots' games against the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. Prentice didn't factor into the team's future plans as an undrafted free agent, especially when others at his position (Nick DeGennaro, Cameron Dorner) burst onto the scene a lot quicker.

Harris, 24, signed with the Patriots out of Oklahoma State folllowing the NFL Draft. He didn't record any stats against the Eagles, but did have two total tackles in his NFL debut against the Colts.

Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Kenneth Harris (36) arrives at the practice field for the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What These Moves Mean:

Both of these positions are pretty dense, making it a tough spot for any young, undrafted player to crack through. Prentice got a few chances during the summer in the return game, but ultimately was caught up in a numbers game that was a stacked receiving room.

His speed helped put him on the map, but he wasn't really able to differentiate himself on a roster that felt like the cards were heavily stacked against him from the start.

Prentice was the second Patriots receiver to depart the team Monday. It was reported earlier that the team is trading Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a future seventh round draft choice.

As for Harris, he was stuck at the bottom of another deep room. If it wasn't Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, Carlton Davis or Kindle Vildor on the field, it was other defensive backs (Karon Prunty, Charles Woods, Channing Canada, Marcellas Dial, Kobee Minor, Brandon Crossley) who got larger opportunities in both the practice and game settings.

The Patriots did suffer injuries to both their offensive line and punter positions in their 24-21 win over the Eagles this weekend, leading to the signings of Conley and Haack.

Conley, who spent time last year on the Patriots practice squad as a rookie, comes in to help shore up a line that's lost Ben Brown, Andrew Rupcich and Marcus Bryant to injury. Haack, a longtime NFL veteran, is now in the fold after regular punter Bryce Baringer wasn't able to complete Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury.

Both Conley and Haack were present at Monday's practice, sporting No. 67 and No 19, respectively.

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