After the Texans gave up on former third-round pick Kahale Warring, the Patriots will give the young tight end an opportunity. The Pats claimed Warring off waivers Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
The Texans, who are now run by longtime Bill Belichick right-hand man Nick Caserio, cut Warring in their move down to 80 players. The former Bill O’Brien-era draftee will now report to Foxborough, where O’Brien once worked. This marks the highest offseason waiver priority the Patriots have held in decades, so it would not surprise if more waiver moves followed in the coming days.
New England’s claim comes after some tight end issues affected its roster. The Pats placed both Dalton Keene, a 2020 third-round pick, and Troy Fumagalli on IR. While the Pats devoted considerable resources to upgrading their tight end corps this offseason, signing Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, they are a bit thin at the position entering their third preseason game. Henry is also down with an injury, though he remains on the Pats’ active roster.
Warring did not contribute much with the Texans. The 6-foot-5 San Diego State product caught just three passes in two seasons and played in just seven games. He missed all of the 2019 season due to injury and also spent a chunk of the 2020 campaign on IR.
Warring, 24, was not all that prolific with the Aztecs, either, totaling 49 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns over his final two seasons. Two years remain on Warring’s rookie contract.