Predicting New England Patriots' 1st Wave of Roster Cuts

Now that the New England Patriots have opened training camp, the hard part is deciding who gets to stick around and who has to go home. With their roster currently at 90 players, the Patriots have to get rid of 15 more to get their roster down to the 75-player maximum in advance of the September 1 deadline.

That being said, it's not as easy as simply letting go of the worst players on the roster.

Some considerations have to be made for keeping enough players at particular positions so that the Patriots aren't running their top players into the ground due to a lack of depth. The Patriots can't afford to get rid of too many offensive linemen early on, for example, because they need at least five for a starting group and five more for a second-string unit. 

There's also a balancing act, though, because if certain players are kept, it may mean fewer reps for other players at that position. 

Here is a look at the five players who are the most likely to find themselves out of a job in the first wave of cuts.

Zach D'Orazio

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Zach D'Orazio (right) is trying to stand out in a deep group of wide receivers.

Zach D'Orazio was already cut by the Patriots once. Due to an abundance of talent at the position, as well as a deep competition for the remaining roster spots, his spot seems to be in jeopardy.

It doesn't help that he doesn't offer much, if any, value on special teams. Those last two roster spots will most likely go to players who can contribute in coverage on kickoff and punt returns or who can return kickoffs and punts.

Even with regards to the practice squad, those players should at least have some ability to pitch in on special teams. D'Orazio would have to beat out Josh Boyce, Aaron Dobson or Brian Tyms to make the cut. That just doesn't seem likely at this point.

Jimmay Mundine

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Rob Gronkowski is locked in as the starting tight end. Scott Chandler is his primary backup and will find his way into the starting lineup when the Patriots roll with a two-tight end set. Michael Hoomanawanui has been a primary backup for years, and his experience in the offense makes him a front-runner to remain on the roster this season.

Then, there are three players competing for a potential fourth spot on the roster: AJ Derby, Jake Bequette (a converted defensive end) and Jimmay Mundine.

At 6'2" and 240 pounds, Mundine is built more like a pure pass-catching tight end than a combination blocker-receiver. The Patriots can find a spot for a player like Mundine, but will it be big enough to warrant a roster spot?

Also, with Bequette moving to tight end from defensive end, he will need as many reps as possible to get familiar with his new position. Mundine's departure could give Bequette the time he needs to work in at tight end.

Vince Taylor

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Vince Taylor (53, left) could make it to the practice squad, but he's a long shot for the final roster.

The Patriots have invested a lot of resources into bolstering their depth on the defensive line this season. Between Malcom Brown, Alan Branch, Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga, Chris Jones and Joe Vellano, it looks like the Patriots won't have enough room for everyone.

That makes the outlook especially grim for a rookie defensive tackle like Vince Taylor. Yes, there's still a chance the team puts him on the practice squad, but he's fighting with at least 30 other rookies and second-year players who could also be kept on the practice squad. 

The undrafted rookie needs to stand out in what is already a deep group if he's going to stick around beyond September 1. Thus far in training camp, Taylor has not done so, but there is plenty of time before the ax comes down.

Antonio Johnson

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Veterans who are far down the depth chart are in a make-or-break situation. It's either the final 53-man roster or the waiver wire; there's no chance of landing on the practice squad.

With a lot of depth at the defensive tackle position, Antonio Johnson is on the outside looking in. The 6'3", 328-pound interior lineman is in the unenviable position of trying to crack a depth chart that already includes Dominique Easley, Malcom Brown, Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch and Chris Jones.

Four of those five players have prior experience in the Patriots defense, making it especially hard for a new face to make an impact.

At least Vince Taylor has the benefit of a potential spot on the practice squad; for Johnson, though, his only hope is to beat out one of the five players listed above. Unless that happens, he will find himself looking for new work by the beginning of September.

David Andrews

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Listed as a center on the Patriots roster, David Andrews is facing an uphill battle to make the final cut due to a lack of versatility. Ordinarily, it would be all right for a backup center to play only one position, but with the Patriots, versatility is a premium trait for offensive linemen.

Rookie lineman Shaq Mason played center at Georgia Tech but has been lining up at guard in Patriots practices. Last year, veteran center Ryan Wendell helped bolster the Patriots line thanks to his ability to move to right guard. Backup lineman Marcus Cannon has played right tackle, left guard and right guard over the years. 

When the backup linemen can play more than one spot, it allows the Patriots a certain degree of roster flexibility because they are filling two backup spots with one player; essentially, they get two players for the price of one. 

There's still plenty of time left for Andrews to show that he can play other positions on the offensive line, but until he does, his value to the team is marginalized by his inability to fill in at any spot the Patriots might need him to play in a pinch.

Unless otherwise noted, all practice notes obtained firsthand.