Given the time he spent in Nashville as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, it isn't surprising that some familiar faces for head coach Mike Vrabel have popped up in New England since he took the head coaching job with the Patriots.
With his first preseason as the leader on the sidelines for New England in the books, the Patriots have already started trimming their roster down to the 53-man maximum they must have in place by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
While those decisions will continue into the weekend, one veteran who played for Vrabel in Tennessee was released by the Patriots earlier this week and has already found a new home in the NFL with a team that made the playoffs last season, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com.
The Bucs have signed cornerback Tre Avery and have waived/injured wide receiver Jaden Smith. Avery originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Titans in 2022.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) August 22, 2025
Former Patriots CB Tre Avery Signs with Buccaneers 3 Days After Release
After claiming him off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 5, Avery joined the Patriots for two weeks before being released from the team to make room for free agent signings Micah Bernard and Philip Blidi. The veteran appeared in two preseason games for New England and recorded four total tackles and one pass deflection. In the end, though, the fit just wasn't right with the Patriots.
Despite New England telling Avery, thanks but no thanks, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were quick to add the cornerback to their roster as he signed with the defending NFC South champions on Friday. With the Buccaneers' preseason finale coming on Saturday night against the Buffalo Bills, Avery will have one more chance to prove his worth before final cuts need to be made league-wide.
Avery has appeared in 38 games over the course of this three-year NFL career, including five starts, and has 54 total tackles, 11 passes defended, and 11 special teams tackles to his name. That experience was enough to get him an opportunity in New England, and now one in Tampa Bay. What Avery does with this latest chance is in his hands.