Training camp has concluded. The preseason is mercifully over. It’s time for the Patriots to trim their roster to 53 players and get ready for their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It won’t be a simple process. The Patriots have difficult decisions to make prior to Tuesday’s cuts as they deal with injuries and determine whether to keep players they know they can trust or younger players with higher upside.
The Patriots already started the process on Saturday.
These are the eight toughest decisions the Patriots must make before Tuesday’s cutdown deadline:
Undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham is a man without a position on the Patriots. His development at wide receiver has been slowed by the snaps he gets at his college position of quarterback, but the Patriots have been hesitant to give him a full slate of snaps under center.
The team must decide to what degree they can develop Cunningham at either position and if his potential is worth a spot on the 53-man roster over players who will actually contribute this season.
It complicates matters that Cunningham would be useful on the scout team as the Patriots prepare for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in Week 1. That alone is not worth a spot on the roster.
Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott are making the team. Pierre Strong will be on the roster, as well, barring something unforeseen.
The Patriots could, in theory, roll with just those three players. But they’ll likely keep a fourth running back for depth, and there are cases to be made for Ty Montgomery (experience), Kevin Harris (early-down prowess) and J.J. Taylor (he’s been the best of the bunch in the preseason). Montgomery has been hurt for most of camp, Harris lacks an outstanding trait, and Taylor should be very easy to slip onto the practice squad. Who makes the cut?
This seems like a foregone conclusion with how sixth-round picks Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte were handled in the preseason. There’s still the outside chance of the Patriots trading away a WR.
Tyquan Thornton is currently dealing with an injury and could potentially land on injured reserve. He’d still need to make the initial 53-man roster in that scenario.
Neither of the Patriots’ top two tight ends are fully healthy. Hunter Henry didn’t dress for Friday’s game after getting banged up in practice Wednesday. Mike Gesicki hasn’t participated in full-contact drills since returning from a shoulder injury suffered earlier in training camp.
Still, there’s not a third tight end on the roster worth keeping who the Patriots shouldn’t feel comfortable losing in waivers. It would be a shock if a team stole away Anthony Firkser, Matt Sokol, Johnny Lumpkin or Scotty Washington.
Perhaps the Patriots use a waiver claim here to add depth?
The Patriots need to know they’ll have at least seven healthy offensive linemen in Week 1. Among prospective starters, Trent Brown and David Andrews are good to go, Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu weren’t participating in practice as recently as Wednesday, and Riley Reiff suffered an apparent injury in Friday’s game.
One of the top reserves, Kody Russey, hasn’t practiced since Week 1 of the preseason, and swing tackle Calvin Anderson remains on the non-football illness list. Rookies Jake Andrews, Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi appear to be roster locks, Chasen Hines, Conor McDermott and Bill Murray have made cases for roster spots, and the Patriots love veteran guard/center James Ferentz. With the health of Strange, Onwenu and Reiff in question, the Patriots might need to keep more than nine or 10 offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster.
It’s safe to include Brown, Strange, David Andrews, Onwenu, Reiff, Jake Andrews, Sow and Mafi. The question is how many of Russey, Hines, McDermott, Murray and Ferentz make the team, assuming Anderson starts the year on NFI.
It’s a complicated puzzle to assemble.
Calvin Munson has earned a roster spot with his play on special teams and defense this summer. But the Patriots also likely know that they could cut him and fairly easily bring him back to the roster or practice squad after placing a player on injured reserve.
As long as they don’t lose him, it seems likely that Munson will contribute Week 1 on special teams whether that’s on the roster or from a practice squad elevation.
The Patriots snagged two tall, speedy cornerbacks late on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft in Ameer Speed and Isaiah Bolden. Bolden was making a bigger impact on defense until a concussion knocked him out of the Patriots’ preseason game against the Packers last week. Speed appears to be the bigger contributor on special teams.
Bolden’s health plays a factor in whether or not the Patriots will keep him around. He’d have to be waived with an injury designation, and if he cleared waivers, he would revert to injured reserve, effectively ending his season.
The status of Jack Jones, who faces gun charges from June, plays a factor. The Patriots need to decide if they must keep additional depth with a more experienced player like Shaun Wade.
It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Chad Ryland would be the Patriots’ kicker when he was selected in the fourth round and that Bryce Baringer would be the team’s punter when he was taken in the sixth round this spring.
But both rookies have had some up-and-down spurts as they compete, respectively, with Nick Folk and Corliss Waitman. Baringer shined in Friday’s preseason game and has the leg up on Waitman. It’s risky to roll with Ryland despite his promise and big leg. Do the Patriots play it safe and keep the rookie and Folk? Or risk losing Folk to a team like the Dallas Cowboys in an attempt to get him on the practice squad?