The Patriots will make final roster decisions next week, as the NFL requires teams to cut down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
New England's job will be easier than it could have been, as a string of injuries will allow for an extended look at some players who have been fighting for a roster spot throughout the summer.
Kendrick Bourne and Sione Takitaki, for instance, have a roster spot locked up when they eventually get healthy. The Patriots won't have to figure them into plans for a while, though, as there really isn't much of a timeline for their returns.
"When those guys are ready to come back, they'll be out here practicing," Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday, per team-provided video. "That's the hard part. I don't like to put time limits or deadlines on it. When they're ready to play, and we get (clearance) from (head athletic trainer Jim Whalen's staff), we'll go with it."
Bourne and Takitaki could return to practice Thursday for all we know, but there will be an acclimation period that should extend any timetable. Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte and Christian Elliss are some roster bubble players who have benefited from those absences and could earn roster spots because of them.
Marte Mapu practiced once this preseason before finding himself sidelined with an undisclosed injury that is expected to extend into the season.
"I would love to say day-to-day, but we're probably talking week-to-week," Mayo said Wednesday. "I'm sure no one has ever said that before to you guys, but we're talking week-to-week."
Joshua Uche was the final injury update given by Mayo, albeit a short one. New England hasn't had Uche at different points throughout camp, but it isn't expected to have an impact on his in-season availability.
"It's something that happened during the summer," Mayo said. "I don't think it's major, but you can put him in the bucket of once he's ready he'll go. He is dealing with something, though."
The Patriots will take the field for their final preseason game Sunday, and if the statuses of Bourne, Takitaki and Mapu don't change, it could be good news for those fighting for roster spots at receiver, linebacker and safety.
