The New England Patriots have sent an obvious message with a pretty significant undrafted free agent move.
The New England Patriots’ 2025 NFL Draft class has been generally lauded, as the Patriots were able to fill a bunch of significant needs while also assembling some impressive talent.
It didn’t stop there, though, as New England also added a handful of undrafted free agents.
Perhaps the most intriguing name the Pats signed was UC Davis running back Lan Larison, who the Patriots clearly seem to like.
How much do they like Larison, you ask? Well, they liked him enough to hand him a $175,000 guarantee, which as Chad Graff of The Athletic notes, is a pretty substantial amount for an undrafted free agent.
New England sent a pretty obvious message with this move: that Larison has a very good chance to ultimately make the Pats’ 53-man roster, which does not come as a major surprise given how disappointing the team’s backfield was in 2024.
Yes, the Patriots selected Ohio State halfback TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of the draft, but the tandem of Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson was very underwhelming last season. That means some extra playing time could be up for grabs, and Larison may be a candidate to land some.
Larison was absolutely brilliant for UD Davis in 2024, racking up 1,321 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He also hauled in 58 receptions for 755 yards and six scores, demonstrating obvious all-purpose potential.
Now, the qualifier is that Larison played in the Big Sky conference, which doesn’t exactly offer the most elite level of competition. You can’t argue with results, though, and it seems pretty evident that Larison has some potential as he joins the professional ranks.
It will be interesting to see how New England deploys Larison in camp.