What signing Travis Shaw, waiving Niko Lalos means for the Patriots
The Patriots made a pair of transactions on Wednesday.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 06: Travis Shaw #44 of the Texas Longhorns battles Joseph Harbert #75 of the San Jose State Spartans in the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images While players and coaches welcomed more than 200 fourth- and fifth-grade students to Gillette Stadium for the annual Community Day , the New England Patriots’ front office was busy working. A minor tweak to the backend of the roster was processed.
The Patriots signed undrafted rookie defensive tackle Travis Shaw and placed recent long snapper addition Niko Lalos on waivers. Let’s analyze what those moves mean from a big picture perspective. Long snapper competition over May 20, 2026, a day that will live in infamy for the special teams sickos who were glamorizing a long snapper competition in this year’s training camp.
The Patriots entered the offseason with incumbent Julian Ashby, a seventh-round selection in last year’s draft, as their only long snapper. Ashby had appeared in all 21 of his team’s games as a rookie and looked solid doing so, but the club nonetheless decided to add Lalos in mid-March on a one-year, $1. 01 million contract.
The thought at the time was that the experienced Lalos might push the 23-year-old for a spot on the roster. Alas, he was let go again just two months after arriving in Foxborough. While additional moves at the position are always a possibility, Ashby is now firmly locked into the spot.