New England Patriots: Breaking Down Final Roster and Week 1 Starters
It's been a long road, but the New England Patriots are finally down to a 53-man roster.
Most of the cutdowns were not a surprise; the roster was probably close to finished even as the Patriots suited up for their final preseason game of the year against the New York Giants. But with the last of the cuts handed in, we can now begin to analyze the roster as it stands for the 2015 season.
Of course, it's inappropriate to categorize this as the "final roster" because there's a pretty good chance that there are changes looming in the near future. For example, running back LeGarrette Blount does not currently count against the roster, but when he returns from his one-game suspension, the Patriots will have to move on from someone to get back within the 53-man roster limit.
All we can do is analyze the information we're given.
Final Roster
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Quarterback: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo
Running back: LeGarrette Blount (suspended), Brandon Bolden, Dion Lewis, James White, Travaris Cadet
Wide receiver: Brandon LaFell (physically unable to perform list), Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, Matthew Slater, Chris Harper
Tight end: Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Michael Hoomanawanui, Michael Williams
Offensive line: Nate Solder, Ryan Wendell, Shaq Mason, Bryan Stork, Tre’ Jackson, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Josh Kline, David Andrews
Defensive line: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard, Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom, Rufus Johnson, Dominique Easley, Malcom Brown, Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch, Khyri Thornton
Linebacker: Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, Jerod Mayo, Jonathan Freeny, Eric Martin, Dane Fletcher (physically unable to perform list)
Cornerback: Malcolm Butler, Tarell Brown, Bradley Fletcher, Logan Ryan
Safety: Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon, Jordan Richards, Nate Ebner, Tavon Wilson
Specialists: Stephen Gostkowski, Ryan Allen, Joe Cardona
Quarterback
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Starter: Tom Brady
Backup: Jimmy Garoppolo
Justice has been served. Tom Brady will start every game in 2015 as long as he is healthy enough to do so.
Judge Richard Berman overturned the NFL's decision to suspend Brady for four games for the findings of the Wells Report, so the Patriots have no reason to carry more than two quarterbacks—aside from the fact that third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley had a bad performance in his only preseason action.
There's not a whole lot to say about the Patriots depth chart at quarterback. Brady is still the face of the franchise, and Jimmy Garoppolo is still his backup who could eventually get his opportunity to lead the offense in the regular season. Fortunately for Patriots fans and unfortunately for Garoppolo, that time will not come in 2015.
Running Back
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Starter: LeGarrette Blount (suspended, does not count against roster)
Backups: Brandon Bolden, Dion Lewis, James White, Travaris Cadet
LeGarrette Blount does not count against the Patriots' 53-man roster due to his one-game suspension. When he returns in Week 2, the Patriots will have to move on from someone—perhaps it will be a player that they hope will clear waivers onto their practice squad.
It looked like Jonas Gray would be the top first- and second-down option in the meantime, but he was surprisingly cut on the way down to a 53-man roster. That appears to leave a clear path for Brandon Bolden to take those carries in Week 1.
Bolden is a core special teams player, so his spot on the roster was almost a given, even though he didn't contribute much on the stat sheet in the preseason. In 2014, Bolden had five special teams tackles and one assist, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dion Lewis, James White and Travaris Cadet all appeared to be battling for the role of third-down/passing back, but the Patriots found a way to keep all three on the roster. It wouldn't be a shock if one of the three ends up being a game-day inactive when Blount returns; until Cadet gets healthy, he looks like the one who could be inactive on game day until further notice.
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Wide Receiver
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Starters: Brandon LaFell (active/PUP list, does not count against roster), Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola
Backups: Aaron Dobson, Matthew Slater, Chris Harper
A string of big-name players have been injured for the Patriots, but those injuries have not had a major impact on the Patriots depth chart at wide receiver—just in how the Patriots approached the middle and bottom of said depth chart.
The only injury that has serious repercussions is Brandon LaFell, who is likely to start out the season on the physically unable to perform list. LaFell tweeted "10/25", which would be the date for his return if he starts off the season on the PUP list, but he quickly deleted that tweet and posted a coy tweet reading "9/10" with a bunch of sunglasses-wearing emojis.
Julian Edelman has not practiced since August 2 with an ankle injury, but he was fully suited up for Thursday night's game. He was always a lock for the roster as the Patriots' best slot receiver, and after hauling in 197 of the 285 passes thrown his way in the past two years, it doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon.
One person who is slowing down, though, is Aaron Dobson. The Patriots backup receiver has not substantially proved that he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster this summer, but he is one of the best wide receivers on the roster and the Patriots just don't have a lot of depth at the position.
Chris Harper was a surprise in making the final cut, but not based off his preseason performances. He was the recipient of several spectacular catches and finished with 15 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown.
Tight End
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Starter: Rob Gronkowski
Backups: Scott Chandler, Michael Hoomanawanui, Michael Williams
The Patriots kept Rob Gronkowski in bubble wrap this preseason, and why not? There was never any need to put him out at risk of an injury. He already knows the offense cold, and he already has great rapport with Tom Brady.
Scott Chandler has been out of action for the past few weeks with an undisclosed injury, but he figures to be a major factor in the Patriots offense as they look to get back to the two-tight end sets that ran roughshod over the NFL from 2010-2012.
With James Develin on injured reserve, third tight end Michael Hoomanawanui becomes a much more important name on the roster. He may not have been a big part of the offensive plans before, and he may still not be a huge factor in the offense even now, but his role will be bigger than it might have been, thanks to his ability to line up at fullback.
When the Patriots added Michael Williams, it appeared pretty clear he would make the roster. He has versatility to play both tight end and offensive tackle, and could be one of those important niche players in jumbo packages.
Offensive Line
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Starters: Nate Solder, Ryan Wendell, Bryan Stork, Tre' Jackson, Sebastian Vollmer
Backups: Marcus Cannon, Josh Kline, David Andrews
At tackle and center, the Patriots have always known the plan. Presuming full health, Nate Solder would start on the left side, Sebastian Vollmer would start on the right side and Bryan Stork would start in the middle. Vollmer has been the starter at right tackle for the past six years, Solder at left tackle for the past three years and Stork at center as of the fourth game of the 2014 season.
The retirement of Dan Connolly put the guard spots in flux once again, though. Rookies Tre' Jackson and Shaq Mason got a lot of reps, but it always felt like Ryan Wendell would resume his rightful place on the starting offensive line once he returned to full health. After making his debut in the preseason finale against the Giants, it's safe to put Wendell back in the mix.
There are no huge surprises in terms of the backup linemen the Patriots kept on the roster. Marcus Cannon is a tenured veteran who signed a two-year, $8.5 million extension just last season. He has played nearly every position on the line except for center and left tackle. Josh Kline has been versing himself as a backup center, where he and David Andrews now both back up Stork.
Defensive Line
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Starting defensive ends: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich
Backup defensive ends: Jabaal Sheard, Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom, Rufus Johnson
Starting defensive tackles: Sealver Siliga, Dominique Easley
Backup defensive tackles: Malcom Brown, Chris Jones (active/PUP list, does not count against roster), Khyri Thornton
It was rather easy to read the tealeaves on these depth charts based off who played (and who didn't play) in the preseason finale against the Giants.
Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich were obvious candidates to be held out, but with both Sealver Siliga and Dominique Easley being held out as well, those two seem to be the front-runners at defensive tackle. That means rookie Malcom Brown will have to wait a little bit before he gets his crack at the starting lineup.
Backup defensive tackle Chris Jones (physically unable to perform list) and backup defensive end Jabaal Sheard were both also held out of the game, hammering home their status as roster locks. Both will be key components in the rotation, keeping their counterparts fresh and helping them get some much-needed rest—a luxury which has not been afforded to defensive linemen for the Patriots in recent years due to their lack of depth.
The Patriots kept a lot of depth at defensive end, and why not? Trey Flowers and Rufus Johnson both shined in preseason, and one of the Patriots' worst enemies over the past few years has been their lack of depth at defensive end.
Linebacker
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Starters: Jerod Mayo, Dont'a Hightower, Jamie Collins
Backups: Jonathan Freeny, Eric Martin
The Patriots don't have any surprises in store in the starting lineup. If everyone is healthy, the top three linebackers will be the same people who have filled those spots for the past two years.
Jerod Mayo made his return to the field against the Carolina Panthers in the third preseason game, and looked as solid as ever in helping to force a turnover on downs with a pair of tackles in run defense. As always, he'll be the primary weak-side linebacker in the 4-3, or an inside linebacker in the 3-4.
Dont'a Hightower has been the one linebacker who's stepped up the most in the past two years with Mayo's injuries. Not only has he worn the green-dot helmet, but he has also played out of position by lining up at weak-side linebacker.
Jamie Collins also stepped up big, and was thrust into a much larger role than expected as a rookie, but he was ready for the challenge in his second year. Collins rounds out the group with an athletic presence that can rush the passer and cover tight ends and running backs.
Eric Martin and Jonathan Freeny both have special teams value, and neither will contribute much in the actual defense, but with the talent level of the Patriots' top three linebackers, Martin and Freeny will play no defensive snaps in a perfect world.
Cornerback
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Starters: Malcolm Butler, Tarell Brown, Bradley Fletcher
Backups: Logan Ryan
There was a lot of uncertainty at cornerback this offseason and all the way through training camp, but one thing has always been clear: Malcolm Butler is the team's best cornerback, and his status as a starter is locked in.
Over the course of training camp and preseason, veteran Tarell Brown also earned his way into a starting role—a status which became clear when he was not active for the team's final preseason game. Bradley Fletcher was a surprise inactive in the final preseason game, but it's a sign of confidence that the team likes what they've seen and didn't need to see more.
Who was active in that game? Logan Ryan, Robert McClain and Daxton Swanson. As it turns out, that was a tryout to see which one of the three would be kept, and Ryan came out the winner. The Patriots will be surprisingly thin at cornerback entering the season with only four on the roster.
The good thing about a trio of Butler, Brown and Fletcher is that all three have the versatility to move around the secondary. The question is whether that group is talented enough to cover elite NFL receivers, but with a much deeper and more explosive front seven than in years past, there won't be as much stress on the secondary to maintain tight coverage for long periods of time on a single play.
Safety
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Starters: Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung
Backups: Duron Harmon, Jordan Richards, Nate Ebner, Tavon Wilson
As it stands right now, there's no reason to expect anyone but Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung to be the team's starting safeties in 2015. Both men started each of the first three preseason games (although McCourty started one at cornerback) and sat in the fourth.
McCourty's experimental run as a cornerback appears to have been just that: experimental. He could move to cornerback in a pinch, if injuries ravage the Patriots' depth at the position, but that should be reserved for emergencies only. He's one of the best free safeties in the league. That being said, the coaches have shown faith that Duron Harmon is capable of stepping in as a free safety if need be.
Chung fits the prototype of a strong safety, with the willingness to come downhill as a run defender and marginal coverage ability that can help in short spaces but could be exposed in larger spaces. For this reason, Chung will probably be the team's starting safety on first and second downs, when the Patriots want to be ready to defend the run.
The Patriots found a way to keep both Nate Ebner and Tavon Wilson on the initial 53-man roster, proving once and for all that special teams value is an enormous factor in the equation of who makes the cut for the Patriots.
Specialists
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Kicker: Stephen Gostkowski
Punter: Ryan Allen
Long Snapper: Joe Cardona
The Patriots didn't have any competitions among these three spots this summer, so none of these names should come as a surprise on the 53-man roster.
Quite frankly, there was no need for any competition. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski has had two of the best years of his career, with a 93.6 percent conversion rate on field-goal tries in that span. Ryan Allen netted 40.5 yards per punt during his sophomore season in 2014, which was the ninth-highest average for any punter in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
The only position where there was ever any question was long snapper. Navy's Joe Cardona was just the fourth long snapper to ever be drafted, and with a 41-mph long-snap, it's no wonder the Patriots liked what they saw enough to use a pick on him. He's been flawless on long snaps this summer, so the Patriots have no reason to look elsewhere—that is, unless the Navy denies his permission to play in the NFL.
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