Predicting the Patriots 53-Man Roster
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
The New England Patriots have one preseason game in their rearview mirrors and are looking ahead to Friday's matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. As the joint practices and game begin to pile up, player evaluations become easier and the roster starts to take shape.
Although the roster situation is fluid through the preseason, and into the season, here it the first look at Go Local's roster predictions.
Offense - 25
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTQuarterback - 3 - Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Jimmy Garoppolo
Many though Mallett would be traded, but after his lackluster performance in the Redskins game he is unlikely to move. Couple that with Jimmy Garoppolo failing to move into the backup position and the Patriots essentially have to keep all three quarterbacks.
Running Back - 3 - Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, James White
The running back group is a lot lighter than it has been in the past. With Ridley taking the feature back role in 2014, Vereen and White will have to bring value both between the tackles and as a change-of-pace.
Fullback - 1 - James Devlin
Devlin is a lock for the roster. He is not only a very good lead blocker, but has shown that he can catch passes out of the backfield and line up as a tight end. Expect to see a lot more of Devlin in 2014.
Tight End - 2 - Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui
Gronkowski and Hoomanawanui (AKA "The Hoo-Man") are both locks for the roster. After cutting Justin Jones and Asa Watson, it is clear the Patriots are not happy with their tight end group. That will mean the only ones to stay are Gronkowski and Hoomanawanui.
Wide Receiver - 7 - Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Tompkins, Josh Boyce, Matthew Slater, Brian Tyms (Reserve/Suspended)
No surprises in the wide receiver spot. The Patriots will bring back Edelman, Amendola, Slater, Dobson, Tompkins and Boyce. Add on Brandon LaFell and Tyms, who will be suspended for the first four games and not count against the 53-man roster until the end of his suspension. This group combines the small, shifty receivers that Tom Brady relies on, with outside threats that Tom Brady needs.
Offensive Line - 9 - Nate Solder, Logan Mankins, Dan Connolly, Josh Kline, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Bryan Stork, Jon Halapio, Cameron Fleming
The offensive line group has a lot of positional versatility. Kline, Cannon and Mankins can all play guard or tackle and Connolly can play center and guard. Expect to see Connolly back at center after starting at guard the previous two seasons.
Defense - 25
Defensive Line - 9 - Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga, Chris Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Michael Buchanan, Zach Moore
Will the Patriots run a 4-3 defense or a 3-4 defense in 2014? They will bring in a versatile group that can play both 3-4 and 4-3.
There are also multiple reports that the Patriots have traded for defensive tackle Ben Bass and defensive lineman Jerel Worthy. Both of these players could help the Patriots and could fill in for the injured Sealver Siliga or Chris Jones if needed.
Linebacker - 7 - Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, James Anderson, Steve Beauharnais, Darius Fleming, Chris White
The starting group of linebackers is all but set. Mayo, Hightower and Collins are all locks and will see a majority of snaps. Anderson is all but a lock as well. The Patriots will need some depth at middle linebacker which lends to Beauharnais being on the roster. The last spot goes to Fleming. He can play inside or outside, has a great motor and has special teams value.
Cornerback - 5 - Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner (Reserve/Suspended) Alfonzo Dennard, Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington, Malcolm Butler
Quite possibly the strongest unit the Patriots have, the cornerbacks have received an unexpected boost from Malcolm Butler. Browner will be suspended for the first four games of the season, allowing the Patriots to carry an extra defender.
Safety - 4 - Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Nate Ebner, Patrick Chung
Who will play next to Devin McCourty in 2014? Many thought it was Harmon's job to lose going into Training Camp, but that appears to have changed.
It might not be any of these players, but possibly Kyle Arrington or Logan Ryan, who have both seen time at safety in camp.
Specialists - 3 - Stephen Gostkowski, Ryan Allen, Danny Aiken
The group of specialists for Bill Belichick are extremely reliable. Gostkowski, Allen and Aiken have had no challenge and should not.
