Patriots Sign Pair of Veteran RBs: What That Means For Preseason

The New England Patriots have their first preseason game of the year Thursday night, but that didn't stop them from making a few roster moves the night before.

After a closed walkthrough, the Patriots announced that they signed veteran running back Hassan Haskins and waived rookie running back Myles Montgomery with an injury designation. But that's not all. A few hours later, USA Today's Arye Pulli reported that the team also signed running back JaMycal Hasty to a one-year deal.

Both Hasty and Haskins were in the facility for workouts, along with free agents Shane Watts (who was with the Patriots last summer) and Leshon Williams. Ultimately, New England went with the two veterans that have plenty of experience with a Mike Vrabel-led team.

Here's what these moves for the Patriots, both for the preseason game later tonight as well as the rest of training camp this summer.

Hassan Haskins Has Vrabel Experience

Tennessee Titans running back Hassan Haskins (25) races up the field past Dallas Cowboys defenders during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Nfl Dallas Cowboys At Tennessee Titans | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Haskins has the talent to stick around this team for longer than just the preseason. A former fourth round pick by the Tennessee Titans, the former Michigan Wolverine spent one season under Vrabel. He racked up 150 total yards of offense in 2022 before spending the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.

It was clear that Haskins would end up signing with the Patriots, even before the signing was announced. Media members on a tour of the Patriots' new practice facility got a look inside the team's virtual room, where Haskins was working on installing plays with running backs coach Tony Dews.

Behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, Haskins could become the RB3 - if he's able to fend off the surging Terrell Jennings. The 26-year-old Haskins has been a valuable threat as both a receiving back and as a kick returner, two areas where Jennings could help the team. It will be interesting to see how many snaps he gets against the Colts less than a day after signing his contract.

JaMycal Hasty Returns Once Again

Oct 18, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots running back JaMycal Hasty (39) during practice at the Harrow School. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Hasty is back the Patriots' backfield for what will be part of four years in a row. In 2023, he was claimed off of waivers and played in two games as a backup. He remained with the team the following year, totaling 20 rush attempts, 69 rushing yards, 10 receptions, 59 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in 15 games. He wasn't re-signed after that year, but would pop right back up at training camp one year later.

He didn't make much noise in 2025, as was on the team for all three preseason games before being let go. But now he's back. There isn't much that Hasty can offer you in terms of game-breaking talent. He's shifty with the ball in his hands and can break tackles, but the Patriots won't be asking him to be a downfield runner.

Right now, it feels like Hasty is more of a camp body rather than anything else. He's a safe veteran option that can operate within the offense that Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels want to run. However, all things considered, it still feels like the third running back spot belongs to Jennings.

Myles Montgomery's Rookie Year Is Over

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Myles Montgomery (39) walks to practice for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Montgomery signed with the Patriots out of UCF on a record-breaking contract. His $272,500 in total guarantees was the most ever given to an undrafted free agent by the Patriots. Despite that, Montgomery got the least amount of reps of any running back during camp.

The 5-foot-10 Montgomery ran the ball hard, but awasn't able to make any headway on the depth chart. He was stashed behind Stevenson, Henderson, Jennings, Lan Larison and fellow rookie Jam Miller in the running back room. Earlier in the summer, Montgomery had gotten some more reps, but once Jennings returned off of the non-football injury list, those snaps quickly evaporated.

Montgomery's tenure in New England could be over, as the team did technically release him with an injury designation. However, it's very uncommon for teams to claim injured players off of waivers. If Montgomery goes unclaimed, he'll revert to the Patriots' season-ending injured reserve, joining wide receivers Jimmy Kibble and Jeremiah Webb, and tight end Julian Hill.

That also doesn't mean that his three-year contract is done. Barring another roster move, Montgomery will be back in the fold for 2027 with a chance to get healthy and make his preseason debut.

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