The New England Patriots signed Niko Lalos on Monday, bringing the veteran long snapper back after cutting him in May.

Lalos went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Dartmouth and spent his first few seasons bouncing around the league, with stops with the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, a year with the XFL's Seattle Sea Dragons, and another stint with the Saints from 2023-2024. This will be his first full season under Mike Vrabel in New England.

In a corresponding move, the Patriots are moving on from offensive tackle and former third-round pick Caedan Wallace. New England selected Wallace with the 68th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Penn State, where he started 40 games at right tackle. He was expected to be a mainstay along the offensive line for years to come, opposite last year's fourth overall pick, Will Campbell — but after just two seasons with the franchise, he's now searching for a new home.

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Wallace appeared in 10 games over the last two seasons, but as a former Day 2 pick who's still just 26 years old, he should land on another roster before Week 1 of the 2026 season.

The move is somewhat surprising given Wallace was still under contract through 2027, but the Patriots' selection of offensive tackle Caleb Lomu this year crowded the depth chart, and Vrabel evidently didn't view Wallace as necessary depth with preseason underway. Aside from Campbell and Lomu, New England also has veteran Morgan Moses, who signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the team in March 2025.

The Patriots' first preseason game is Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium.

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