The New England Patriots’ final roster cuts on Tuesday contained at least two shocking moves. First, the Patriots announced that they were parting ways with a Bradyn Swinson — a player Pro Football Focus called “one of the most underrated players in the 2025 NFL Draft.”
At the same time, New England elected to keep a wide receiver who in his career has made exactly one catch for 12 yards. By retaining second-year wide receiver Javon Baker, the Patriots, barring any upcoming trades or other personnel moves, are set to start the season on Sept. 7 with eight wide receivers on the 53-man roster.
Baker was a fourth-round pick, 110th overall out of Central Florida, just last year.
The Patriots made the former LSU edge rusher the 146th overall selection in 2025 — and at the time longtime Patriots beat reporter and analyst Evan Lazar called the 23-year-old “among the biggest steals of the draft.”
In fact, according to Lazar, the Patriots were lucky to nab Swinson at all. The consensus among experts was that the 6-foot-4, 255 pound defensive end — who was predicted by NexGen Stats to “eventually be plus starter” — would be taken high in the third round.
Over a minute of #Patriots fifth-rounder Bradyn Swinson wrecking South Carolina's offense last season. pic.twitter.com/cKlUYB5rM9
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) May 5, 2025
Cutting a drafted player, especially one taken before the sixth or seventh rounds, before his rookie season starts is a highly unusual decision. The Patriots had done so twice in the past decade, but in both previous cases the cuts were the result of player injuries.
But there is no report of Swinson suffering a significant injury since 2021, his second season at Oregon when he endured a torn meniscus.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots’ thinking behind the move to release Swinson had not been explained by head coach Mike Vrabel or anyone in the organization.
Bradyn Swinson is a player to very closely this season, Swinson is going to make plays this season!@OfficialSwintt
— New England Sports Review (@nesportreview) August 20, 2025
Why Vrabel chose to keep Baker is also a puzzle, though based on comments made by the coach after the Patriots preseason win over the Washington Commanders, it appears that he may envision the Atlanta, Georgia, native as a special-teams specialist.
“Everything that we see out of Javon as a receiver — when they can embrace that as special teams players — guys that are big and physical and fast and willing, that translates to special teams,” Vrabel said at the time.
By keeping Baker, Vrabel salvages something from the Patriots 2024 draft, the last before the former Tennessee Titans head coach took over in New England.
Of the eight players selected, only Baker, quarterback Drake Maye — the draft’s No. 3 overall pick — and offensive lineman Caedan Wallace, a third-round selection, remain on this season’s 53-man active roster.
