EWU grad Efton Chism III earns spot on Patriots; Former Shadle Park QB Brett Rypien among NFL cuts

Efton Chism III has punched his ticket to the New England Patriots’ 53-man roster.

The undrafted free agent wide receiver out of Eastern Washington delivered a stellar summer, climbing New England’s depth chart to earn a roster spot on Tuesday.

Chism starred in a 20-12 win over Minnesota earlier this month, catching six passes for 71 yards, including a touchdown where the 5-foot-10 pass catcher ran through six tacklers and seemed to will himself over the goal line.

“It doesn’t matter how you get here. The only thing that matters is what you do when you’re here, and I think that’s another great example of that,” Mike Vrabel said after that win over the Vikings. “Chis’, when given opportunities, has taken advantage of them. We’ve talked about his play strength (earlier in the month), and I would say that continued to be true.”

Chism was one of eight receivers to the make the Patriots’ initial roster, which also includes rookie Kyle Williams (Washington State) and Kendrick Bourne (EWU).

With the deadline to trim NFL rosters to 53 arriving Tuesday, several players with local ties were cut. Among them was quarterback Brett Rypien (Shadle Park and Boise State) from the Minnesota Vikings.

Others released included four former WSU Cougars – receiver River Cracraft from the Washington Commanders, offensive tackle Esa Pole from the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Brennan Jackson and cornerback Cam Lampkin from the Los Angeles Rams.

Former Lewis and Clark High School grad and Eastern Washington player Xavier Guillory suffered a broken collarbone during Baltimore’s preseason finale against Washington and was waived on Tuesday.