The New England Patriots began the process of cutting their roster down to 53 players on Saturday.
Let’s find out what it means for the Patriots from a big-picture perspective.
No surprises
New England’s first wave of cuts did not include any surprises, as the Patriots largely released undrafted free agents who were buried on the depth chart. The harder decisions will come Sunday. Among them:
Did rookie Behren Morton do enough to warrant keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster? How will the offensive and
defensive depth shake out in the trenches? Did a young pass rusher do enough to stick behind Dre’Mont Jones and Elijah Ponder? And who will emerge as the top backup cornerback in the secondary?
Practice squad candidates
The Patriots will finalize their initial 53-man roster by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. The roster movement doesn’t stop as they will need to make space for any awarded waiver claims and then begin the process of putting together their 16 player practice squad.
New England’s developmental squad will primarily be built by players they have released over the last two days that clear waivers, which includes wide receiver Kyle Dixon, who impressed in the preseason finale hauling in all eight of his targets for 71 yards. Dixon could be joined by fellow wideouts Nick DeGennaro and/or Cameron Dorner.
Among the other players to watch include offensive lineman Jacob Rizy, linebacker Riley Wilson and safety Peter Manuma.
Lonesome Drake Maye
As the Patriots released cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr. on Saturday, Drake Maye is now the only remaining member of the 2024 draft class.
From the 2022 to 2024 NFL Drafts, the Patriots have just four total players remaining — Maye, DeMario Douglas, Bryce Baringer, and Marcus Jones. For a team that lacks depth, that is a the top reason why.
Salary cap considerations
Saturday’s cuts did little to change New England’s salary-cap picture, as most of the players released or waived were carrying minimum-salary contracts, with several not counting toward the team’s top-51 cap number. Perhaps the most notable change was replacing Hassan Haskins’ $1.145 million cap charge with that of trade acquisition Corey Kiner, who carries a $1.005 million charge.
In total, the Patriots still have more than $30 million in cap space, giving them plenty of flexibility moving forward.
20 cuts to go
The Patriots released/waived 19 players on Friday night and Saturday, leaving their current roster at 73 players. They must make at least 20 more cuts by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET to get down to 53 players.
