The dead heat of training camp practices are in the rearview, and the focus now shifts to the preseason finale and the final roster cut for the New England Patriots.
Next Tuesday is the deadline for teams to cut down to a 53-man roster. The Patriots are going to have some tough decisions on their hands in an effort to be in compliance with that deadline.
Not every player can make the roster, and this could be a case where some fan favorites are ultimately left off the list. Keep in mind, the Patriots have the option of signing players that don’t make the cut to the practice squad, assuming another team doesn’t jump at the chance to sign them.
Here is our third and final 53-man roster projection for the 2023 Patriots ahead of the preseason finale.
Quarterbacks (2): Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe
I twisted my brain into pretzels thinking up ways to keep Malik Cunningham on the roster. He has been the most fun player to watch during the preseason, and the unknowns surrounding his ceiling for potential are fascinating.
My prediction is the Patriots ultimately cut him and hope he goes unclaimed on waivers to sign him to the practice squad. It’s probably a good thing they haven’t given him much work under center to hide him from other teams, but then again, teams around the league might have seen enough from his performance against the Houston Texans to decide to pounce on an opportunity to sign him.
If a player ends up on injured reserve before the final roster cut, I could easily see that spot going to Cunningham.
Running backs (3): Rhamondre Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott and Pierre Strong Jr.
Ty Montgomery is finally back in the mix, but I’m not so sure he’ll be able to make up for lost time. It’s unfortunate that he has gone down to injuries now in back-to-back training camps, but in his return, the Patriots have seemingly already moved on.
Ezekiel Elliott has been brought in on a one-year deal as the primary backup to Rhamondre Stevenson, and the Patriots could opt to keep as many as six wide receivers on the roster. Make no mistake, Montgomery is still a really good player, but there doesn’t appear to be a fit for him anywhere.
Wide receivers (6): DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte
I have the Patriots carrying six receivers on their roster this year. JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne are the locks here with Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas being the only real questions.
But should they really be questions at this point?
Thornton is only in his second year, and it’s too soon to be giving up on a guy they invested a second-round draft pick in. Meanwhile, Douglas and Boutte have been two of the more consistent offensive playmakers throughout training camp. This decision should be pretty cut and dry.
Tight ends (3): Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki and Matt Sokol
Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki working in unison should be a significant upgrade for the Patriots in the red zone. Gesicki is listed as a tight end, but he’s basically a larger receiver playing opposite of one of the better all-around tight ends in the NFL.
Matt Sokol sneaks on here as the No. 3 option after quietly having himself a really good training camp.
Offensive line (9): David Andrews, Mike Onwenu, Trent Brown, Cole Strange, Conor McDermott, Riley Reiff, Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi and Jake Andrews
If there’s one unit to be concerned about for the Patriots, it would be this year’s offensive line group. Granted, that could all change when Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange both return from injuries. The two starters being back would give the unit a major boost.
But that still won’t answer the depth questions. Jake Andrews doesn’t look ready to contribute, and although Atonio Mafi and Sidy Sow have had great moments, they’ve also struggled as well, along with the rest of the unit. There could be some musical chairs along the offensive front this season, and I have the team keeping nine linemen to be utilized in those adjustments.
Defensive line (7): Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale
The defensive line is set in stone for the Patriots.
Christian Barmore should have a breakout year, assuming he can stay healthy. By the end of the season, his name should be mentioned along with the best defensive tackles in the league.
Yet, I’m mostly intrigued by what rookie defensive end Keion White is able to bring to the unit. He looked like a whole problem for opposing offenses in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. If that’s any indication of the player the Patriots’ defense is getting, it’s going to be an early Thanksgiving with quarterbacks on the menu.
Linebackers (8): Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Marte Mapu, Jahlani Tavai, Mack Wilson and Chris Board
The defensive front could get a major rookie boost, and the same is the case for the Patriots’ linebackers. Marte Mapu has the potential to be special on defense. He has exceptional athleticism, versatility and a high football IQ. Some things can’t be taught, and Mapu is one of those players that just gets it.
He’ll be surrounded by a host of other playmakers, including Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Anfernee Jennings. This unit has the potential to be even better than it was last season.
Cornerbacks (5): Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones, Marcus Jones and Myles Bryant
There are some questions at cornerback for the Patriots in regards to health and outside issues. Jonathan Jones has been out with an injury, and Christian Gonzalez landed awkwardly in practice and injured himself on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Jack Jones remains a question mark with his ongoing legal situation. This unit is incredibly promising if everyone is available. Even Myles Bryant has shown improvements as a backend defender throughout training camp and preseason games.
Safeties (4): Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Adrian Phillips, Jalen Mills
The competition at safety has been fierce for the Patriots. It’s no surprise considering Jabrill Peppers, Adrian Phillips and Jalen Mills were three of the players battling it out to replace Devin McCourty and play opposite of Kyle Dugger.
There is no one true McCourty replacement considering he’s one of the greatest defenders in franchise history. The Patriots will likely move guys around and get creative with their defensive looks. It’s easy to do that when you have multi-talented playmakers on the backend.
Specialists (6): Chad Ryland, Bryce Baringer, Joe Cardona, Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler and Ameer Speed
The Patriots have a real conundrum on their hand at kicker.
Rookie Chad Ryland has been hot and cold throughout camp, but the team spent a fourth-round draft pick to get him. Nick Folk has been okay, but he has the experience the Patriots could lean on until Ryland is up to speed. So it’ll be interesting to see if the team really does decide to keep two kickers on the roster.
I have them making the tough decision and putting their faith in the rookie to figure it out sooner rather than later.
