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2020 NE Patriots Roster

BigKen

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As always the roster is flexible until the cut down day arrives. I started this thread last week but it was either deleted or somehow fell of the face of the earth. I looked everywhere for it and the Search didn't give me anything.

Here's one of many predictions:

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, however, because there’s plenty to be discussed either way.

(Note: the order within each position group is based not on a projected depth chart but rather the alphabet)

Quarterbacks
In (3): Brian Hoyer, Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham

Out (1): Brian Lewerke

No surprises at the quarterback position. Cam Newton has been named the Patriots’ starter and will lead the offense into the regular season next week.

Offensive backfield
In (6): Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris, Jakob Johnson, Sony Michel, J.J. Taylor, James White

Out (1): Lamar Miller

Five of the six players projected to make the cut are no surprise.

Wide receivers
In (6): Damiere Byrd, Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski, Matthew Slater

Out (4): Andre Baccellia, Devin Ross, Jeff Thomas, Isaiah Zuber

With Mohamed Sanu no longer part of the equation, the Patriots are a bit light at wide receiver behind roster locks Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry. If they decide to add outside talent over the weekend via trade or through the waiver wire, however, second-year men Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski as well as free agency addition Damiere Byrd are projected as the depth pieces alongside Edelman.

Tight ends
In (2): Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene

Out (5): Rashod Berry, Jake Burt, Paul Butler, Ryan Izzo, Paul Quessenberry

Cutting Ryan Izzo was among the toughest decisions in this projection.

Offensive tackles
In (4): Yodny Cajuste, Korey Cunningham, Jermaine Eluemunor, Isaiah Wynn

Out (1): Justin Herron

Isaiah Wynn and Jermaine Eluemunor are locked in as the starting tackles on the left and right end of the line, respectively, so their spots on the team are safe.

Offensive interior
In (5): David Andrews, Hjalte Froholdt, Shaq Mason, Michael Onwenu, Joe Thuney

Out (2): Ben Braden, Tyler Gauthier

The interior of the Patriots’ offensive line is pretty much set. Center David Andrews and guards Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney form one of the best starting trios in football. i

Defensive tackles
In (5): Beau Allen, Adam Butler, Byron Cowart, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise Jr.

Out (3): Bill Murray, Nick Thurman, Xavier Williams

Adam Butler, Byron Cowart, Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise Jr. are locks to make the team at this point in time. Beau Allen has not yet participated in a single training camp however, he would have to make the initial 53 — which is why he has to be listed as “in” in this projection.

Outside linebackers
In (4): Shilique Calhoun, Derek Rivers, John Simon, Chase Winovich

Out (1): Tashawn Bower

While John Simon and Chase Winovich are safe. Shilique Calhoun and Derek Rivers looked solid in training camp and offer depth on special teams (Calhoun) and in the pass rush (Rivers).

Move linebackers
In (2): Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche

Out (2): Brandon Copeland, Terez Hall

The move linebacker position is one of versatility in New England’s scheme that they did not just align on the defensive edge on a regular basis, but also dropped back to play as inside linebackers in select situations.

Inside linebackers
In (2): Ja’Whaun Bentley, Cassh Maluia

Out (1): De’Jon Harris

The true inside linebacker position may seem a bit weak with defensive on-field signal caller Ja’Whaun Bentley and rookie Cassh Maluia as its only players making the cut, but it does not look substantially different from last year’s group.

Cornerbacks
In (6): Justin Bethel, Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty, Joejuan Williams

Out (2): Myles Bryant, D’Angelo Ross

While both Myles Bryant and D’Angelo Ross had their moments in training camp, there simply are no spots available for them on the deepest cornerback group in the NFL.

Safeties
In (5): Terrence Brooks, Cody Davis, Kyle Dugger, Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips

Out (0).

Specialists
In (3): Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona, Nick Folk

Out (1): Justin Rohrwasser
 

BigKen

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My picks:

Quarterbacks

In (3): Brian Hoyer, Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham

Out (1): Brian Lewerke

No surprises at the quarterback position. Cam Newton has been named the Patriots’ starter and will lead the offense into the regular season next week.

Offensive backfield
In (6): Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris, Jakob Johnson, Sony Michel, Lamar Miller, James White

Out (1): [URL='https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/340100/j-j-taylor?_ga=2.48190638.827296362.1598791383-272147646.1573207113']J.J. Taylor (PS)[/URL]

Five of the six players projected to make the cut are no surprise.

Wide receivers
In (6): Damiere Byrd, Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski, Matthew Slater

Out (4): Andre Baccellia, Devin Ross, Jeff Thomas, Isaiah Zuber (All make the PS)

With Mohamed Sanu no longer part of the equation, the Patriots are a bit light at wide receiver behind roster locks Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry. If they decide to add outside talent over the weekend via trade or through the waiver wire, however, second-year men Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski as well as free agency addition Damiere Byrd are projected as the depth pieces alongside Edelman.

Tight ends
In (2): Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene

Out (5): Rashod Berry, Paul Quessenberry [URL='https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/340085/jake-burt?_ga=2.187113377.827296362.1598791383-272147646.1573207113']Jake Burt, Paul Butler, Ryan Izzo (PS)[/URL]

Cutting Ryan Izzo was among the toughest decisions in this projection.

Offensive tackles
In (4): Yodny Cajuste, Korey Cunningham, Jermaine Eluemunor, Isaiah Wynn

Out (1): Justin Herron (PS)

Isaiah Wynn and Jermaine Eluemunor are locked in as the starting tackles on the left and right end of the line, respectively, so their spots on the team are safe.

Offensive interior
In (5): David Andrews, Hjalte Froholdt, Shaq Mason, Michael Onwenu, Joe Thuney

Out (2): Ben Braden, Tyler Gauthier (PS)

The interior of the Patriots’ offensive line is pretty much set. Center David Andrews and guards Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney form one of the best starting trios in football. i

Defensive tackles
In (5): Beau Allen, Adam Butler, Byron Cowart, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise Jr.

Out (3): Nick Thurman, Xavier Williams...........................[URL='https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/340095/bill-murray']Bill Murray (PS)[/URL]

Adam Butler, Byron Cowart, Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise Jr. are locks to make the team at this point in time. Beau Allen has not yet participated in a single training camp however, he would have to make the initial 53 — which is why he has to be listed as “in” in this projection.

Outside linebackers
In (4): Shilique Calhoun, Derek Rivers, John Simon, Chase Winovich

Out (1): Tashawn Bower

While John Simon and Chase Winovich are safe. Shilique Calhoun and Derek Rivers looked solid in training camp and offer depth on special teams (Calhoun) and in the pass rush (Rivers).

Move linebackers
In (2): Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche

Out (2): Terez Hall [URL='https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/194299/brandon-copeland']Brandon Copeland (PS)[/URL]

The move linebacker position is one of versatility in New England’s scheme that they did not just align on the defensive edge on a regular basis, but also dropped back to play as inside linebackers in select situations.

Inside linebackers
In (2): Ja’Whaun Bentley, Cassh Maluia

Out (1): De’Jon Harris (PS)

The true inside linebacker position may seem a bit weak with defensive on-field signal caller Ja’Whaun Bentley and rookie Cassh Maluia as its only players making the cut, but it does not look substantially different from last year’s group.

Cornerbacks
In (6): Justin Bethel, Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty, Joejuan Williams

Out (2): Myles Bryant(PS), D’Angelo Ross (PS)

While both Myles Bryant and D’Angelo Ross had their moments in training camp, there simply are no spots available for them on the deepest cornerback group in the NFL.

Safeties
In (5): Terrence Brooks, Cody Davis, Kyle Dugger, Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips

Out (0).

Specialists
In (3): Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona, Nick Folk

Out (1): Justin Rohrwasser (PS)
 

Yankee Traveler

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I say keep Jeff Thomas, cut Lamar miller and J.J. Taylor.
 

nefansince75

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My picks:

Quarterbacks

In (3): Brian Hoyer, Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham

Out (1): Brian Lewerke

No surprises at the quarterback position. Cam Newton has been named the Patriots’ starter and will lead the offense into the regular season next week.

Offensive backfield
In (6): Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris, Jakob Johnson, Sony Michel, Lamar Miller, James White

Out (1): J.J. Taylor (PS)

Five of the six players projected to make the cut are no surprise.

Wide receivers
In (6): Damiere Byrd, Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski, Matthew Slater

Out (4): Andre Baccellia, Devin Ross, Jeff Thomas, Isaiah Zuber (All make the PS)

With Mohamed Sanu no longer part of the equation, the Patriots are a bit light at wide receiver behind roster locks Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry. If they decide to add outside talent over the weekend via trade or through the waiver wire, however, second-year men Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski as well as free agency addition Damiere Byrd are projected as the depth pieces alongside Edelman.

Tight ends
In (2): Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene

Out (5): Rashod Berry, Paul Quessenberry Jake Burt, Paul Butler, Ryan Izzo (PS)

Cutting Ryan Izzo was among the toughest decisions in this projection.

Offensive tackles
In (4): Yodny Cajuste, Korey Cunningham, Jermaine Eluemunor, Isaiah Wynn

Out (1): Justin Herron (PS)

Isaiah Wynn and Jermaine Eluemunor are locked in as the starting tackles on the left and right end of the line, respectively, so their spots on the team are safe.

Offensive interior
In (5): David Andrews, Hjalte Froholdt, Shaq Mason, Michael Onwenu, Joe Thuney

Out (2): Ben Braden, Tyler Gauthier (PS)

The interior of the Patriots’ offensive line is pretty much set. Center David Andrews and guards Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney form one of the best starting trios in football. i

Defensive tackles
In (5): Beau Allen, Adam Butler, Byron Cowart, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise Jr.

Out (3): Nick Thurman, Xavier Williams...........................Bill Murray (PS)

Adam Butler, Byron Cowart, Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise Jr. are locks to make the team at this point in time. Beau Allen has not yet participated in a single training camp however, he would have to make the initial 53 — which is why he has to be listed as “in” in this projection.

Outside linebackers
In (4): Shilique Calhoun, Derek Rivers, John Simon, Chase Winovich

Out (1): Tashawn Bower

While John Simon and Chase Winovich are safe. Shilique Calhoun and Derek Rivers looked solid in training camp and offer depth on special teams (Calhoun) and in the pass rush (Rivers).

Move linebackers
In (2): Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche

Out (2): Terez Hall Brandon Copeland (PS)

The move linebacker position is one of versatility in New England’s scheme that they did not just align on the defensive edge on a regular basis, but also dropped back to play as inside linebackers in select situations.

Inside linebackers
In (2): Ja’Whaun Bentley, Cassh Maluia

Out (1): De’Jon Harris (PS)

The true inside linebacker position may seem a bit weak with defensive on-field signal caller Ja’Whaun Bentley and rookie Cassh Maluia as its only players making the cut, but it does not look substantially different from last year’s group.

Cornerbacks
In (6): Justin Bethel, Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty, Joejuan Williams

Out (2): Myles Bryant(PS), D’Angelo Ross (PS)

While both Myles Bryant and D’Angelo Ross had their moments in training camp, there simply are no spots available for them on the deepest cornerback group in the NFL.

Safeties
In (5): Terrence Brooks, Cody Davis, Kyle Dugger, Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips

Out (0).

Specialists
In (3): Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona, Nick Folk

Out (1): Justin Rohrwasser (PS)
We gotta keep Bill Murray, even if it's only for the laughs.
 

BigKen

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Officially, Rosters must be cut to 53 by 4:00 PM tomorrow.

Phones are burning from Foxboro to Seattle. Word right now is that BB has $41M in cap space and teams are calling him try to move players for draft picks because once the cuts come, everyone has to clear waivers.

There are free agents like Jason Peters and Beachman that are still out there. Ogletree and reid are also tryi g to hook on somewhere. Looks like prices are coming down and draft picks are aren't that easy to get.
 

BigKen

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Official website of the New England Patriots

Cam Newton Video Conference Call FRI SEP 04 | 02:55 PM - 03:45 PM

Belichick: 'Players have worked hard and improved a lot'



Patriots Release Three Players
Sep 03, 2020 at 06:07 PM
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New England Patriots


Staff


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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced that they have released rookie DL Michael Barnett, CB Michael Jackson and WR Mohamed Sanu Sr.

Barnett, 23, was signed by New England on Aug. 24. The 6-foot-4, 304-pounder played in 46 games over four seasons at Georgia from 2015-19 and registered 47 tackles and two passes defensed. Barnett played in 13-of-14 games with six starts for the Bulldogs in 2019 and posted a career-high 23 tackles and broke up one pass.

Jackson, 23, was traded to New England from Detroit on Aug. 9. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick (158th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys out of Miami in the 2019 NFL Draft. Jackson began his rookie season on the Dallas practice squad before being signed by the Detroit 53-man roster off the Dallas practice squad. He saw action in one game last season and did not register any statistics.

Sanu, 31, is a veteran of nine NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (2012-15), Atlanta Falcons (2016-2019) and the Patriots (2019). The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was acquired by the Patriots in a trade with Atlanta on Oct. 23, 2019. Last season with the Patriots, Sanu played in eight games with six starts and finished with 26 receptions for 207 yards and one rushing attempt for 8 yards. He also started in one postseason game and caught one pass for 11 yards. Sanu originally entered the NFL as a third-round draft pick (83rd overall) by Cincinnati out of Rutgers in the 2012 NFL Draft. He signed with Atlanta in 2016 as an unrestricted free agent. Overall, he has played in 118 games with 92 starts and has registered 403 receptions for 4,507 yards with 26 touchdowns and has 41 rushing attempts for 223 yards with two touchdowns. Sanu has also tallied 26 receptions for 318 yards in nine postseason contests.
 

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BigKen

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5 Patriots who’ve impressed — and 5 who haven’t — ahead of roster cuts
Several rookies have flashed, while a few veteran players have disappointed.

By

Aidan Curran
September 4, 2020 | 10:12 AM


COMMENTARY

With no preseason NFL games this summer, it can be easy to lose sight of the arrival of the regular season. With a shortened training camp, the arrival of real NFL football has flown under the radar.

But the NFL waits for no one, and we are now less than one week away from the first game of the regular season, Texans vs. Chiefs, and nine days away from the Patriots’ season opener, when they take on the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.

NFL teams have until this Saturday at 4 p.m. to cut their training camp rosters from 80 players to 53 players. The Patriots have several difficult roster decisions to make between now and then.

With no preseason games to watch, it becomes harder for teams and media alike to evaluate players on the roster. Still, we can glean roster clues from who has shined in practice, and who has struggled to stand out. Here’s who stood out in an abbreviated training camp this summer, and who could be on the cut line as we inch closer to Saturday at 4 p.m.

FIVE UP
Jakob Johnson, FB

The Patriots signed Dan Vitale to a one-year deal this offseason in hopes of replacing James Develin with Vitale and Jakob Johnson this season. Johnson was thrust into the spotlight however, once Vitale opted out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns, and has responded well to the added pressure of being the only true fullback on the Patriots’ roster now.

A native of Germany, Johnson is entering his third season with New England, and continues to show marked improvement each year, even showing some pass-catching potential in practices this summer. Johnson is a thumper like Develin, but could be used out of the backfield as a pass-catcher on certain plays in this year’s iteration of the Patriots offense.

Josh Uche, LB
There is a youth movement on defense with New England this year, after several key free agent departures. Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings highlight the group of young Patriots who will be counted on to replace lost production, and both have looked capable of handling significant early-season roles right from the jump.

Uche still looks to be getting comfortable with the responsibilities of his role on defense, but has been used in several spots along the front-seven in practices this summer. The athletic linebacker from Michigan could be the team’s best pass-rusher already, and shows shades of ex-Patriot Jamie Collins with his versatility and athletic ability. He could be a Swiss Army knife for this defense.

Anfernee Jennings, LB
While Uche is the more athletic and explosive of the two rookie linebackers, Jennings has done well in training camp also, and plays with the maturity of an NFL veteran already. Jennings projects to fill the role vacated by Kyle Van Noy, and has done well in setting hard edges against the run in practice, something that isn’t always a given with rookie defenders playing on the line.

Jennings is a more physical player than Uche, and seems to have a better grasp on the playbook than his rookie peers, something that is undoubtedly aided by his time spent at Alabama learning under Nick Saban.

Deatrich Wise, DL
A lot has been made this summer about Deatrich Wise gaining some “good weight” in the offseason, as he framed it to reporters this week. Coming into his fourth year, Wise has yet to emerge as a consistent, every-down defender, and it was not outrageous to think he was on the roster bubble coming into training camp.

After a quiet start to camp for Wise, the 2017 fourth-round pick has really come on in the last two weeks. With the added weight on his 6-foot-5 frame, Wise could kick inside on the Patriots’ defensive line to provide a matchup advantage against interior offensive linemen.

There are questions for New England as to how they will generate a pass rush consistently this season. Wise’s strong performance in training camp is a possible answer to that. At times, he’s been dominant on the practice field, and has been giving the Patriots’ offensive linemen fits.

2020 is a contract year for Wise. He has a lot to play for, and it looks like he has answered the bell so far for the team in 2020.

J.C. Jackson, CB
Jackson has deservedly gained recognition since the end of last season as being one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, and has shown this summer that he has every intention of taking another step forward this season. Stephon Gilmore might be this team’s top cornerback, but Jackson is continuing to close that gap.

Jackson, who is only 24 years old, is a restricted free agent after this year, and it would not be surprising to see the Patriots try to sign Jackson to a big extension soon to lock up their cornerback of the future. With Stephon Gilmore turning 30 in September, Jackson is poised to be the next great Patriots franchise cornerback.

Honorable mention: Damien Harris, Devin Asiasi, Jermaine Elumuenor, Terrence Brooks, Kyle Dugger

FIVE DOWN
Jarrett Stidham, QB

The top storyline coming into training camp was the Patriots’ quarterback competition, but it lasted about four days until Jarrett Stidham suffered a hip injury.

Stidham was always going to need to have an outstanding training camp to beat out Cam Newton, but going down with an injury less than a full week into training camp derailed any shot he had at the starting quarterback job.

Now, with the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride reporting on Thursday that Newton has officially been named the team’s starting quarterback, Stidham finds himself in a competition for the backup job, rather than the starting job. With his injury, and Hoyer’s experience in the system, it’s now not even a sure thing that Stidham is the team’s backup this year. For a player who had generated some hype coming into this season, it’s been a very disappointing August for Jarrett Stidham.

Beau Allen, DT
Beau Allen was signed to help replace Danny Shelton after Shelton signed with the Detroit Lions in free agency, but hasn’t been able to practice yet this summer with his new team, due to a lower body injury.

With the Patriots challenged for depth already at the defensive tackle spot, Allen doesn’t appear to be at risk of getting cut, but being placed on short-term IR to start the season should not be ruled out at this point, with nine days to go until the team’s first game.

Justin Rohrwasser, K
It’s been a brutal training camp for Justin Rohrwasser, to put it mildly. The fifth-round draft pick has been inconsistent from the very beginning, and despite his big leg, has not shown the ability to kick the ball between the uprights with any regularity.

Since Nick Folk was signed by the team to compete with Rohrwasser, Folk has gone 17-of-20 on field goal attempts, while Rohrwasser has hit 11-of-20 attempts. That’s simply not good enough.

With NFL practice squads expanding to 16 players for this season, it’s likely that the team will sign Rohrwasser to the practice squad, assuming he clears waivers.

N’Keal Harry, WR
While he isn’t necessarily on here because of poor performance, this was supposed to be a huge offseason for Harry, the team’s 2018 first-round draft pick, after a rookie season spent playing catch up due to injury. Instead, it’s been an up-and-down August for the second-year wideout, one that hasn’t seen him separate from the pack like you would expect out of a former first-round draft pick.

Harry missed three practices in the middle of training camp, but returned in time to get back on track in his quest to earn a bigger role in 2020. Ideally, Harry becomes a physical red-zone threat for Newton to rely on, and somebody who can operate in the intermediate areas of the field and pick on smaller defensive backs.

Harry’s health will continue to be something to monitor. Until he can stay on the field consistently, it will be tough to count on Harry to be a big part on offense for this team.

Adrian Phillips, S
Phillips, the team’s top free agent signing from this offseason, has missed most of training camp due to injury, and has been limited in practices this week as he tries to work his way back to full health in time for Week 1.

With Terrence Brooks and Kyle Dugger playing well in training camp, Phillips’s name has been thrown out there as a possible surprise cut. But with Patrick Chung opting out of the season, and with how much value the Patriots place on the safety position, it would be extra surprising to see the versatile Phillips released, despite his absence from practice this summer.

(Dis)honorable mention: Brandon Copeland, Damiere Byrd
 

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2020 NFL roster cuts: How does cutdown day work and what does it mean for the Patriots?
Related: Patriots roster cuts tracker: News, rumors, instant analysis, and more

By Bernd Buchmasser@BerndBuchmasser Sep 5, 2020, 8:00am EDT

1269914448.jpg.0.jpg
Photo by Michael Dwyer-Pool/Getty Images
One of the busiest days on the NFL calendar has arrived: roster cutdown day. The New England Patriots and league’s other 31 teams will have to reduce their current rosters from 80 players down to 53 — leaving more than 800 men without a team, in some cases temporarily in others permanently. But what exactly does it mean for the Patriots and the other organizations?

Let’s take a closer look at cutdown day to find out.

How many players will the Patriots have to move?
Following a series of transactions earlier this week — wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, defensive tackle Michael Barnett and cornerback Michael Jackson were let go — the team currently has 77 players under contract. This means that 24 of them will have to be moved off the active team before cutdown deadline one way or another.

What cutdown options do the Patriots have?
Teams have numerous ways to reduce the number of players on their active team — from cuts to trades to injury and other reserve lists.

Cuts: Cut is a general term for parting ways with a player, but there is more nuance to it through the difference between getting released and getting waived. Players who have four or more years of service on their respective résumés — so-called vested veterans — will get released and hit free agency right away, becoming eligible to negotiate with any team.

Players with less experience than that, meanwhile, will have to pass through the waiver wire: based on the draft order, teams can put in claims until Sunday, 12 pm to sign those players to their 53-man rosters (they do need to create open spots on the team for them, of course). If a player clears waivers unclaimed, he also reverts to free agency or is free to return to his original team via the practice squad.

There also is the option to waive a player with an injury designation. If unclaimed, he would automatically revert to a team’s injured reserve list. Patriots defensive tackle Michael Barnett is a recent example for this: he was waived by the team with an injury designation, was not picked up by another team, and is now on IR and out for the year. This brings us to...

Injury lists: To reduce the number of men under contract, teams can also place players on one of the various reserve lists. Injured reserve is the most common one: players that have suffered an injury and will be out for an extended period of time can get placed there. If they are moved to IR before 4 pm on Saturday, they will be out for the season; if moved there after 4 pm on Monday, they are eligible to be brought back via the return spots available to each club.

Those return designations do look a bit different this year, however, considering that teams are able to return an unlimited number of players this year after a three-week period. Mike Floria of Pro Football Talk previously explained them as follows:

The 2020-only rules, which become effective after 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6, will allow the team to remove any player with a football or non-football injury from the roster for three weeks. After three weeks, the player will be eligible to return to practice. Once he returns to practice, the team will have 21 days to place him back on the active roster.

The Patriots currently have two players on IR in wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo and the aforementioned Michael Barnett. Others should be expected to join them either ahead of Saturday’s or after Sunday’s deadline.

Other injury lists worth mentioning are the physically unable to perform list (PUP) and the non-football injury list (NFI). New England has only one player falling under those categories, and he has already been moved to reserve status: special teamer Brandon King will miss at least the first six weeks of regular season action on Reserve/PUP.

Trades: This is pretty straight forward. Teams could simply decide to trade players to get them off their roster. Safety Jordan Richards is a recent example, as he was moved from the Patriots to the Atlanta Falcons in 2018 in return for a conditional draft selection. The move freed up one spot on the team and also increased New England’s draft capital. Player-for-player trades are also common — think: Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for Phillip Dorsett — but they obviously do not reduce a team’s player count.

Other reserve lists: Three other lists exists that could be relevant to clubs, even though they have minimal importance for the Patriots when it actually comes to the cutdown deadline:

  • Reserve/Suspended
  • Reserve/Covid-19
  • Reserve/Opt-out
Players on those three lists do not count against the 53-man roster, with the Patriots only having players in the opt-out category at the moment. A total of eight players decided to opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns about the Coronavirus pandemic, including linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon. They are ineligible to return this year — something that does not necessarily have to be the case for players on the suspended or Covid-19 reserve lists.

How does the timeline look?
The NFL’s official calendar has the following entries listed today:

9/5/2020: Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List.

9/5/2020: Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/NonFootball Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List.

Long story short, the Patriots and other teams — by using the methods explained above — will have to bring their active rosters under the 53-player threshold mandated by the league. The deadline to do that is 4 pm ET.

Transaction may be reported ahead of that deadline, even though teams could wait significantly longer before making any moves public. New England is traditionally among the teams to announce transactions way past the deadline despite obviously already having parted ways with the necessary number of players.

What lies ahead?
Once cutdowns are over, the scramble for talent begins. Clubs have until 12 pm on Sunday to put waiver claims onto non-vested players to potentially fill any holes on their team. The Patriots did that numerous times in the past, with Amara Darboh and Chad Hansen the most recent examples: the two wide receivers were claimed following 2018’s cutdown deadline.

One hour after the claiming period has closed, at 1 pm on Sunday, teams can start filling their practice squads. This year, up to 16 players can be signed with six of those available for players regardless of their experience in the NFL. While the number of practice squad players was increased due to Covid-19, the general rules of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement are still in place. This mid-June story about the practice squad therefore explains what to expect this year.

A little bit further down the line, lies the end of the NFL’s top-51 rule: as opposed to the offseason, all contracts on the 53-man roster will count against the salary cap beginning 12 am on Thursday, September 10 — the day of the regular season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans.

The Patriots are in a rather comfortable financial position at the moment: according to Miguel Benzan, they are $35.38 million under the cap already accounting for the top 53 contracts on the roster.

Have the Patriots already made some moves?
All weekend long, Pats Pulpit will keep you up-to-date on all of New England’s transactions. To get an overview over who has been let go and possibly brought on board, however, is our Patriots cutdown tracker. Make sure to bookmark it, and reload frequently.
 

BigKen

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The Patriots have started making cuts early:

OL Ben Braden
QB Brian Lewerke
TE Paul Butler
WR Andre Baccellia
OL Tyler Gauthier


more to come............................
 

BigKen

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Patriots roster is now at 72 players. 19 more will be cut today.
 

Southieinnc

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The Patriots have started making cuts early:

OL Ben Braden
QB Brian Lewerke
TE Paul Butler
WR Andre Baccellia
OL Tyler Gauthier


more to come............................



no surprises so far
 

BigKen

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Patriots have cut RB Lamar Miller

18 to go..................
 

BigKen

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More cuts

TE Paul Quessenberry
WR Devin Ross
DE Nick Thurman
DT Bill Murray
LB Terez Hall

13 more waiting to hear
 

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Three more.......

LB Scoota Harris
CB Myles Bryant
CB D'Angelo Ross

Waiting on the final 10........................33 minutes to go
 

BigKen

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LB De'Jon Harris
 

BigKen

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3:44 LB Cash Maluia
 

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TE Jake Burt
 

BigKen

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Roster at this time is at 60 players.

Can't get the last 7 anywhere.
 
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