The late release of veteran safety Jabrill Peppers opened a 53-man roster spot in Foxborough.

The New England Patriots filled it by claiming rookie defensive tackle Eric Gregory off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals amid a series of moves entering Labor Day weekend.

Gregory, 24, signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in May. The 6-foot-3, 319-pound Arkansas product was waived after making the initial active roster. While notching a pair of tackles, Pro Football Focus charted Gregory for four quarterback pressures across 96 defensive snaps in the preseason. He appeared 61 games, including 44 starts, while in the SEC.

The Razorbacks run brought 135 tackles and 9.5 sacks along with three passes defensed and one interception.

Also on Friday, the Patriots signed offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. to the practice squad and released guard Jack Conley to make room among the group of 17.

Munford, 25, had been waived by the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft and spent the past three campaigns there. The former No. 238 overall pick arrived in the AFC West during offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ stint as head coach. Munford went on to appear in 46 games, including 18 starts, and saw 1,088 offensive snaps. The 6-foot-6, 328-pound Ohio State product twice earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. ESPN’s Mike Reiss first shared that the ex-Buckeyes captain was one to monitor.

Conley, 24, joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in May. He was signed to the practice squad at its formation after clearing waivers at the end of his rookie preseason. The 6-foot-7, 333-pound Boston College alum spent time at right guard, left guard, right tackle and as an eligible tight end while in Chestnut Hill. In 2024, Conley started all 12 games and earned an All-ACC honorable mention.

Patriots players are off through Sunday before the first week of the regular season gets underway at Gillette Stadium.

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