Matt Patricia will be quite familiar with the New England Patriots' newest addition.
The Patriots are expected to sign former Detroit Lions linebacker Jahlani Tavai to their practice squad, ESPN's Field Yates reported Wednesday.
Patricia was the Lions' head coach when they selected Tavai in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Hawaii product played in all but one game as a rookie, making six starts while tallying 58 tackles, two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and two passes defensed.
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The 24-year-old started 10 of 16 games for Detroit last season but was waived Tuesday as part of the Lions' final roster cuts. He'll follow his former coach to New England, as Patricia was Tavai's head coach in Detroit in 2019 and 2020 before joining the Patriots this offseason as a senior football advisor.
New England added several players to its practice squad Wednesday, but Tavai is the only outside addition as of this writing.