TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 The Boston Globe Sports D3
Here’s how the Patriots’ roster is shaping up
er. Stidhamhas played well
enoughin his first preseason
that he can handlethe backup
duties(andBrady never leaves
the field, anyway).
The Patriotsshouldlook to
trade Hoyer, and even consider
releasing him. I knowthat Hoy-
er has $1.51 million of guaran-
teed base salary, but it comes
withoffsets. If he is released
and signswithanotherteam
for, say, the veteran minimum
of $1 million, the Patriots
would be on the hook for only
$500,000.
RRunningback(6): Sony
Michel, James White, Rex Burk-
head, Damien Harris, Brandon
Bolden, FB James Develin.
Missingthecut: NickBros-
sette, FB Jakob Johnson.
Analysis: Runningbackis
the deepest position, and
they’re going to keep as many
as they can, especially consider-
ing Michel’s injury history and
the injury risk of the position in
general. Bolden is really just a
special teams player, but he can
play running back in an emer-
gency.
uONFOOTBALL
ContinuedfromPageD1
Brossette ran well against
Tennessee but will have a tough
timecrackinga toughdepth
chart. Johnson has a European
exemption and can be kept as
an 11th player on the practice
squad.
RWidereceiver(5): Julian
Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Phillip
Dorsett, Josh Gordon, Jakobi
Meyers.
Physicallyunabletoper-
form: Demaryius Thomas,Cam
Meredith.
Missingthecut:Braxton
Berrios*, Ryan Davis*, Maurice
Harris, Gunner Olszewski*,Da-
mounPatterson*.
Analysis: Gordon’s addition
was bad news for Harris, Berri-
os, and Olszewski,whowere
getting a lot of workin training
camp.But Meyers has been un-
stoppable, and he fulfills the Pa-
triots’ unofficial requirement of
keepingan undrafted rookie on
theirinitial 53-man roster every
year.
R Tightend(3): Matt La-
Cosse, Eric Saubert, Lance Ken-
dricks.
Suspended: Ben Watson.
Missingthecut: Ryan Izzo,
Andrew Beck*, Stephen Ander-son.
Analysis: This positionis
wide open, especially with La-
Cosse dealing with an ankle in-
jury that couldleakintothe
regularseason.Watson will be
backin Week 5, and until then,
the Patriots will patch it togeth-
er withtwo veterans, Saubert
and Kendricks. But, frankly, it
wouldn’t surpriseme if either
one were cut. This is one posi-
tion where the Patriots should
be busy around roster cutdown.
R Offensive line (8): RT
MarcusCannon,RGShaqMa-
son, C David Andrews, LG Joe
Thuney, LT Isaiah Wynn, OT
Dan Skipper, C/G HjalteFrohol-
dt, G/C James Ferentz.
Non-footballinjury: OT Yod-
ny Cajuste.
Missingthecut:OT Cole
Croston*, C Tyler Gauthier*, OT
Martez Ivey*, G/C Ted Karras,
OT Cedric Lang*, OT Tyree St.
Louis*.
Analysis: I wentwith Kend-
ricks withmy finalroster spot,
but Croston was a closesecond.
The Patriots coulduse some
depth at offensive tackle with
Wynn still coming backfrom
his tornAchilles’ tendon.But
for nowSkipper will serve as
the backup to both tackle spots,
and Froholdtand Ferentz will
back up the interior guys.
DEFENSE(23players)
RDefensiveline(8): DE Mi-
chael Bennett, DT Lawrence
Guy, DT Adam Butler, DT Mike
Pennel,DE Deatrich Wise,DE
John Simon, DE Chase Win-
ovich, DT Byron Cowart.
Missingthecut: DE Derek
Rivers, DE KeiontaDavis*, DE
Trent Harris*,DE UfombaKa-
malu,DT David Parry, DT Dan-
ny Shelton, DT Nick Thurman*.
Analysis: Sometoughcuts
here withRivers,Davis, and
Shelton, each of whomwas on
the teamlast year and is in the
runningfor the final roster
spots.But Riversand Davis
don’t play special teams,while
Shelton’s role as a run stuffer
isn’t as important in today’s
NFL.
R Linebacker(5): Dont’a
Hightower, Kyle Van Noy,Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jamie Col-
lins, Elandon Roberts.
Missing thecut: Shilique
Calhoun,Terez Hall*, Calvin
Munson*, Christian Sam*.
Analysis: Collinscameto
camp needingto win a roster
spot, and it looks like he has
done that. He has drawn noth-
ing but praise from Belichick,
and earned a nightoff with the
starters last Saturday in Ten-
nessee.
Roberts, entering his fourth
year, should beat out the trio of
youngsters fighting for his spot.
The Patriots wouldrather have
a veteran player in that final
linebacker spot, and Roberts al-
so played 80 special teams
snaps last year.
RCornerback(6): Stephon
Gilmore,Jason McCourty, Joe-
juanWilliams,J.C. Jackson,
Jonathan Jones, Duke Dawson.
Missingthecut:KeionCrossen*,A.J. Howard*, Ken
Webster*.
Analysis: Dawsonalso got
one of my final roster spots, but
only because he was a second-
roundpicka year ago, and I
don’t think Belichick is ready to
give up on him yet. But corner-
back is the Patriots’ deepest de-
fensive position, so it wouldn’t
be surprising to see something
happenhere— whether it’s a
surprise release,or perhapsa
trade of Jones or Dawson.Cros-
sen was on last year’s team, but
his odds don’t look as good.
R Safety (4): Devin Mc-
Courty, Patrick Chung, Duron
Harmon, Terrence Brooks.
Missingthecut: Malik
Gant*, Obi Melifonwu.
Analysis: Melifonwu is
mighty tempting, as a 6-foot-4-
inch coverage safety and special
teamer. But the Patriots drafted
Williams in the second round,and he is the same height and
better in coverage. Brookswill
be the new Jordan Richards, as
a special teamer and occasional
dime safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS(6)
K StephenGostkowski,P
Jake Bailey, LS Joe Cardona, ST
Matthew Slater, ST Nate Ebner,
ST Brandon King.
Missingthecut: P Ryan Al-
len.
Analysis: Bailey likely will
handle holdingand kickoff du-
ties, and Gostkowski will kick
field goals and occasional kick-
offs.
Ebner, who has just
$600,000 in dead cap money,
may be a roster casualty in fa-
vor of Melifonwu, Croston, or
Rivers.BenVolin canbe reached at
[email protected]. Follow
himon Twitter @BenVolinJIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFFHjalteFroholdt(64),Ted Karras (75),andotherPatriots
linemenwarmupat practicein Foxborough.
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