New England Patriots: Early 53-Man Roster Projection, Version 1

Training camp and the 2011 NFL preseason are in full swing, and the New England Patriots roster appears to be one of the deepest in the NFL.

37 cuts is a mountainous task, especially with so much talent that may eventually end up going on to start elsewhere should they be cut. 

It has to happen at some point, though, and for now, here are my very early impressions on what the final 53-man roster could look like. 

This is part 1 of what will be a weekly segment leading up to the regular season. 

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz.

Quarterback

Tom Brady
Brian Hoyer
Ryan Mallett 

No surprises here, folks. Tom Brady set records for efficiency last year, with a consecutive 338 passes without an interception. His 36 touchdowns and 111.0 passer rating both led the league, and ranks No. 2 all-time with his 0.8 interception percentage.  

Brian Hoyer remains second fiddle, even if not heir apparent. In that regard, Hoyer's future in the NFL may be more closely tied to the idea that he'll become trade fodder, much like Matt Cassel.

The Patriots virtually have no choice but to keep Ryan Mallett on the 53-man roster, as there's little or no chance of him clearing waivers. After his solid performance on Thursday night against the Jaguars, though, there's no reason not to do so.

Running Back

BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Danny Woodhead
Stevan Ridley
Shane Vereen
Kevin Faulk 

Why yes, I do think the Patriots will keep Faulk on the roster. He knows the offense as well as anyone, having grown up in it for almost the entirety of his NFL career. He could be a valuable mentor for the four young backs ahead of him on the roster.

That being said, it's not out of the question for the Patriots to find a way to keep him around in another role, perhaps as an assistant to Ivan Fears?

Green-Ellis and Woodhead are coming off two of the best seasons for running backs of late, and though Stevan Ridley had a breakout performance in preseason Week 1, he'd have to really exceed expectations to get that big of a role.

Shane Vereen just needs to get on the field. He has missed most of camp with an injury, and risks starting the season on PUP. That would open up a roster spot, but wouldn't be an ideal situation for the Patriots.

Notable absence: Sammy Morris

Although Morris carved out a niche for himself as a fullback in the offense last year, there just isn't enough space for him to make the roster. 

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski
Aaron Hernandez
Lee Smith

Rob Gronkowski has been described by Boston Herald writer Ian Rapoport as a "man among boys" in passing drills at training camp, and is clearly the No. 1 tight end for his versatility as both an in-line blocker and a versed pass catcher.

When Gronkowski went down with an injury, Hernandez was quick to step up and make an impact in the passing game in practice. Were it not for his fumble, his performance against the Jaguars would have yielded much more positive attention.

Lee Smith was brought in to fill the Alge Crumpler role, but has exceeded that in practice. Minus a few miscues, including a false start on the six-yard line that drew the ire of Bill Belichick, Smith has been effective in every role they've had him in practice. 

Wide Receiver

Chad Ochocinco
Wes Welker
Deion Branch
Taylor Price
Julian Edelman
Matthew Slater

Put the rumors to bed: Chad Ochocinco won't be cut to prove a point. Not after the Patriots just inked him to a $4.5 million signing bonus that included him taking a pay cut. Belichick doesn't make roster moves to prove points, he makes them to win games.

In that regard, this receiving corps looks almost perfect. When the Patriots send out two receivers in either a 21 or 12 personnel group, those guys will most likely be Wes Welker and Ochocinco. 

The surprises here are Price and Slater. Price isn't a surprise anymore, as his breakout five-reception, 105-yard performance against the Jaguars put him firmly on the map, if his acrobatic touchdown grab didn't.

Similarly, Slater has been a special teams standout as usual. While his impact on kick coverage and punt coverage units remains unchanged, Brandon Tate's role is diminished greatly by the new kickoff rules. Which leads me to...

Notable absence: Brandon Tate

With an injury that has kept him off the field for much of training camp, Tate has seen his role handed over to guys like Price as the Patriots seemingly try to afford him every opportunity to make the roster. 

Offensive Linemen

Matt Light
Nate Solder
Logan Mankins
Dan Koppen
Dan Connolly
Sebastian Vollmer
Rich Ohrnberger
Mark LeVoir

The starters here should be no surprise. The Patriots return the same set of starters that finished off the 2010 season. The lack of OTAs and mini-camps really hurt the growth of Nate Solder, even if he did hold his own in the Jacksonville preseason game. Were it not for that, who knows whether Matt Light would be back for another season.

The Patriots are perfectly content bringing him back with his decade of experience protecting Brady's blind side.

Rich Ohrnberger is proving himself to be a great sixth man on the offensive line much like Ryan O'Callaghan used to be. Ohrnberger showed the ability to line up at various spots on the offensive line in the preseason game, having lined up at center and guard spots.

Mark LeVoir may seem like a long shot for the roster, but he's the best "true" backup tackle the Patriots have left. Most of the other backups are better suited in roles on the inside. He has shown the ability to get outside and block on screens, and that athleticism is invaluable to the Patriots offense.

Notable absense: Marcus Cannon

Just a sneaking suspicion that tells me he opens the season on the PUP, with the Patriots making a cut to make room for him in-season. 

Defensive Tackles

Vince Wilfork
Albert Haynesworth
Shaun Ellis
Kyle Love
Myron Pryor
Gerard Warren

Okay, this is the hard part of the roster to make the decisions by far. There's just so much talent, that no matter who they cut, someone will end up starting somewhere.

When looking at what Belichick has said about the defense, it seems that there will be some flexibility in the use of 4-3 and 3-4 fronts. With that in mind, I took the players that are the most scheme versatile. Virtually all of these guys can play in both a 3-4 and a 4-3, and most of them have been productive in both roles. The only exception is Haynesworth, but frankly, I don't think there's any chance he gets cut.

In terms of pure defensive linemen, Shaun Ellis is about as versatile as they come, having played tackle and end spots in a 4-3 as well as end and interior spots in the 3-4. 

Notable absences: Mike Wright, Ron Brace 

Brace has flashed potential in spots, but as a second-round pick, he should have come around by now. With the recent rash of moves, there's just too much talent ahead of him to say he has a legitimate shot at cracking the final 53.

Mike Wright was a tough decision to make, but Bill Belichick has made a living off those. His scheme versatility is nice, as he could really be one of the better penetrating tackles on the roster, but his history of injury is a big red flag.

Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers

Jermaine Cunningham
Eric Moore
Andre Carter
Mark Anderson
Rob Ninkovich

Flexibility is the name of the game on the defensive line, specifically at the end spots. Make what you want about the switch to a 4-3 defense, but the fact of the matter is that the Patriots run 17 different fronts a year. They will definitely be employing both 3-4 and 4-3 looks on defense, so having versatile defensive ends capable of also playing outside linebacker spots will be important. 

That being said, it's clear there could be more four-man fronts than usual as the team has practiced primarily in that look and were in sub packages 57 percent of the time in 2010. Thus, having players that can play at a high level in a four-man front is more important than ever before. This allows a guy like Mark Anderson to make the roster where he may have previously been considered too much of a specialist, while also allowing a guy like Rob Ninkovich to make the roster for his flexibility between the two fronts. 

Linebacker

Jerod Mayo
Brandon Spikes
Gary Guyton
Dane Fletcher
Tracy White

Dane Fletcher's importance to this defense was magnified in Thursday's game against the Jaguars. Where would the defense be without a quality backup like Fletcher should anything happen to their starting middle linebacker Brandon Spikes during the regular season?

A guy like Guyton remains a value addition to the team, an inexpensive guy who can contribute on special teams and in both a 3-4 and 4-3 as a linebacker. He's not going to break a game open, and he gets exposed in coverage sometimes, but he knows the system well and has gained the trust of Belichick.

Tracy White maintains his special teams role, having proven his value in that role in practices and in Thursday's game against the Jags. 

Cornerback

Devin McCourty
Leigh Bodden
Kyle Arrington
Ras-I Dowling
Jonathan Wilhite

Kyle Arrington and Leigh Bodden could split time as the team's nickel cornerback. The two did so against the Jaguars on Thursday night. However, with two receivers on the field, it will be McCourty and Bodden on the corners.

This is a real shame for a guy like Malcolm Williams, who might have had a legitimate chance to make the roster any other year. Instead, he loses out the back end of that battle to Jonathan Wilhite, who has the experience edge over Williams. 

Notable absence: Darius Butler

The preseason and training camp are time for Butler to put up or shut up on his role in the Patriots' defense. The light just hasn't gone on for him, and he still appears raw even after two years in the NFL. His team-leading five tackles are less evidence of his play in run support (he was blocked out of a running play) than of his catches allowed followed by a tackle. That may be sound fundamentally but it's not going to stop the opponent from moving the ball.

Safety

Brandon Meriweather
Patrick Chung
Sergio Brown
James Sanders

Sergio Brown is becoming an integral part of the picture in the secondary, as he has recently begun rotating in with the first team defense over incumbent starter Brandon Meriweather. It's a little far to the extreme to say that Meriweather's roster spot is in jeopardy, but there could very easily be an addition at safety before the season begins, and that addition could lead to subtraction either in the safety spot or elsewhere.

Specialists

K: Stephen Gostkowski
P: Zoltan Mesko
LS: Matt Katula

The Patriots have been trying out different people as their long snapper, from Rob Ninkovich to Rich Ohrnberger. In the end, there's no substitute for the kind of chemistry that a special teams trio develops. Katula played well for the Patriots last year, and although he had a gaffe on Thursday against the Jaguars in a nasty overshoot on a long snap, his job isn't in any kind of jeopardy just yet.

More like that, though, and the Patriots may go the way of a dual threat long snapper, which would open up a roster spot for someone else. 

Wrap-Up

11 defensive linemen may seem like a lot (Belichick has carried an average of 6.7 in his Patriots career) but the new-look flexible-front defense calls for a large group of linemen, both of the specialist and scheme-versatile variety.

The team is pretty thin at both safety and on the offensive line, so the coaching staff is likely hoping that either someone steps up or that they are able to find a veteran on the cheap. This would be the time to do it, too, since many veterans may become anxious for any offer they can get.

With that, I'm very uneasy about just eight offensive linemen on the roster. I'm hoping someone really steps up, or that a roster spot opens up due to a cut for someone like Steve Maneri or Ryan Wendell. 

Overall, though, the Patriots already boast one of the best 90-man rosters in the league and could shape up to be one of the best 53-man rosters when it's all said and done.