The Patriots began shaping their 53-man roster Friday, sending fourth-year safety Jordan Richards to the Falcons.
The Patriots are getting a conditional seventh-round pick as the return for Richards. ESPN reported that the pick will be in the 2020 draft. Richards, who has been on the roster bubble all summer, started and played a good portion of Thursday night’s preseason win over the Giants, registering one tackle.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 210-pound Richards was a heavy hitter and core special teamer. He took over the punt protector’s role after Nate Ebner was hurt last year. A second-round selection in 2015 out of Stanford, Richards was tried in a variety of spots — including hybrid linebacker, where he could attack the box — but never really carved out a role and struggled in coverage.