Why Patriots Traded Backup OL Caedan Wallace After 2 Seasons

FOXBORO --- The New England Patriots, more than an hour after agreeing to a two-year extension with veteran tight end Hunter Henry, continue to reshape their roster.

After it was originally reported that the Patriots were releasing offensive guard Caedan Wallace, the Patriots announced that they've traded him and a 2029 seventh round pick to the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth round pick.

To fill his place, the team has re-signed long snapper Niko Lalos after a brief stint in the spring, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Wallace, who was one of three remaining draft picks from New England's 2024 class (along with Drake Maye and Marcellas Dial), had a very up-and-down career with the Patriots. He was drafted with the 68th overall pick in the third round, but really struggled to make his mark on the active roster.

Originally drafted with the hopes of being the team's future left tackle, Wallace eventually switched to guard when Mike Vrabel was hired ahead of the 2025 season. He played in just six games (two starts) as a rookie before an ankle injury ended his season.

One season later, Wallace played in just four games in what was mostly a healthy scratch year.

Consistent Position Changes Didn't Help

Going into this year, he was competing for one of the backup guard jobs in what was a pretty slimmed down depth chart. He had switched from the right side in college to the left side in the NFL, before another transition to guard.

Jul 28, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Caedan Wallace (70) walks to practice for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The team already had Mike Onwenu, Ben Brown, Mehki Butler and Andrew Rupcich as holdovers from a year ago, but also added Alijah Vera-Tucker, JonDarius Morgan and Jacob Rizy during the offseason.

"I actually like guard, a lot," Wallace said in 2025. "It’s different, and different is always fun for me. I’m learning new stuff every day. It’s really fun, it’s really, really fun. I like hitting people, and at tackle, you have to think a little more. At guard, you can kind of fire off and get your face in stuff more."

Wallace wasn't expected to be a starter, but a strong spring from Rupcich became a roadblock for the 26-year-old to make any upward movement. It would have been tough for him to switch back to tackle, considering the team's hefty investments in the draft the last two years (Will Campbell, Marcus Bryant, Caleb Lomu, Dametrious Crownover).

Training Camp Injury

It also didn't help Wallace's case that he got tangled up in a 1-on-1 drill earlier in camp. He would leave practice early with a member of the training staff.

It caused him to miss a few sessions, and while he did return to the field, it was clear that the missed practices helped boost the stocks of some of the other players gunning for a spot.

Jumped On Depth Chart

Wallace originally opened up camp repping as one of the two guards on the second-string offense. But on July 31, one day before Wallace's injury, his spot with the second team was taken over by Butler.

While he would return from his injury, Wallace didn't get back into the second unit. He would miss the team's final practice of the week on Aug. 7 before a two-day break.

Wallace, obviously, was not in attendance for New England's 13th training camp practice of the summer Monday morning.

Getting Any Sort Of Compensation Is A Win

Wallace was a player that didn't feel like he was making the roster to begin with. Him being released felt like the expected course of action for the young lineman, but it just came earlier than expected. For the Patriots to get a draft pick back for him is a total win in my eyes.

Solely based on numbers, Wallace never felt like he was cracking the 53-man roster. Good on the Patriots for getting some sort of compensation for him. https://t.co/MitEjIBs60
— Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports) August 10, 2026

The Patriots now add a second sixth rounder in 2028, their sixth draft pick for that year. They've already traded away their first rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles for A.J. Brown, and their seventh rounder to the New Orleans Saints (along with Ja'Lynn Polk).

The seventh rounder shipped away is the first draft pick moved in 2029 for New England.

Wallace now heads to Miami looking for a fresh start with a team expected to be in the basement of the AFC East. He's not the first Patriots offensive lineman who has tried to reshape his career with the Dolphins. Both Isaiah Wynn and Cole Strange spent time in South Florida after their Patriots tenures in recent years.

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