The Patriots waived running back Jam Miller on Friday, jettisoning one of their 2026 draft picks before the roster cuts deadline. It's a quiet admission that the organization whiffed on a prospect they invested in just months ago. Miller won't make the final 53, and that's a tough pill for any front office—but the right call.
Here's the reality: the running back room is crowded. Hassan Haskins, Rhamondre Stevenson, Myles Montgomery, and TreVeyon Henderson all made the cut ahead of Miller. That's a clear depth chart statement. Eliot Wolf and the front office clearly see more upside elsewhere, or they've determined that Miller's skill set doesn't fit what Mike Vrabel wants to do schematically. When you're fighting for carries behind that many bodies, you're not NFL-ready. It happens. Draft misses are part of the business—even for competent front offices.
The bigger takeaway? This is what roster construction looks like in August. The Patriots aren't sentimental about draft pedigree. Wolf doesn't care that Miller was his pick. If you can't beat out the competition, you're gone. That ruthlessness is actually a good sign organizationally. Teams that hold onto draft picks out of ego end up wasting roster spots and complicating their salary cap. The Pats aren't doing that.
Miller will clear waivers and hit the practice squad wire. There's a decent chance another team claims him or signs him later—maybe a team with less depth at the position. Sometimes the system works that way. But for New England, this is closure on a bad bet. You evaluate, you move on, you don't let sunk costs cloud your judgment in September. That's the Vrabel Way, and it's exactly what you want to see from a Patriots organization that's trying to rebuild with discipline.
Based on reporting from Pats Pulpit.