The practice squad of the AFC\u2019s No. 2 seed would be subject to renovations ahead of the divisional round against the Houston Texans.<\/p>\n
The New England Patriots signed running back D\u2019Ernest Johnson, wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr., offensive tackle Lorenz Metz and cornerback Miles Battle to the 17-man group on Tuesday, the organization announced<\/a>.<\/p>\n Johnson, 29, cleared waivers<\/a> after being let go from the 53-man roster. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound back is now a candidate to serve as a standard elevation for the fourth time since heading to Foxborough in October. He has appeared eight games in all, including the wild card, while totaling 25 rushing yards and 128 kickoff return yards. Undrafted in 2018, Johnson stands 106 combined games into his NFL career. His run has brought 228 carries for 1,014 yards, 53 catches for 467 yards, as well as three starts and three touchdowns in the regular season, By way of the Alliance of American Football\u2019s Orlando Apollos, the South Florida product made previous stops with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals.<\/p>\n Sherfield, 29, joins the Patriots\u2019 wideout room as a veteran of 124 games in the regular season. A 14-game starter, he has caught 89 passes for 1,034 yards and six touchdowns since going undrafted in 2018. Sherfield has accrued 2,684 snaps on offense and 1,804 snaps on special teams through stints with the Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Vanderbilt alum\u2019s journey in the league also includes seven playoff contests.<\/p>\n Metz, 26, checks in with an exemption through the NFL\u2019s International Player Pathway, making him the 17th man on the scout team. Born in Bavaria, Germany, the 6-foot-9, 330-pound offensive tackle played collegiately at Cincinnati and entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023. Following stints with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, he went on to spend the 2024 and 2025 seasons on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u2019 practice squad.<\/p>\n Battle, 25, had been released<\/a> from New England\u2019s practice squad entering the playoffs. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound cornerback now circles back a week later. He began the campaign on the practice squad before spending<\/a> a month on the 53-man roster. His sophomore year has spanned five appearances and three tackles across 29 snaps on defense and 53 snaps on special teams. Originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2024, the former transfer from Ole Miss to Utah made his NFL debut in last January\u2019s finale.<\/p>\n To make room on the practice squad, wide receiver Brandon Smith and defensive tackle Fabien Lovett were released in corresponding moves.<\/p>\n