The New England Patriots' lack of star power made for a lack of surprises when they announced their 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon.
Here are eight thoughts after the initial 53-man was confirmed.
Not set in stone
The 53 players who earned roster spots ahead of the league's cutdown surely are not safe from impending moves. Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said New England will be aggressive on the waiver wire, where the organization holds the third-best priority. There are a handful of players the Patriots could target. And any player the Patriots claim off waivers will result in a follow-up roster move. So, if the Patriots are awarded three players on the wire, three players who made the 53-man roster no longer will be on the roster.
Bad look for Bill Belichick
We hate to throw dirt on Belichick's grave here, but the longtime head honcho in New England was dealt a few more draft failures on his way out. None was worse than 2023 fourth-round pick Chad Ryland, who was beaten out by Joey Slye in the kicker competition. Imagine spending a fourth-round pick on a kicker who didn't last two seasons?! Brutal. Ryland isn't alone, though. Only three players from the 2021 and 2022 draft classes remain in New England.
2024 class stays put
All eight of New England's selections in the 2024 NFL Draft made the initial roster. That included sixth-round cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr., who felt like the most likely cut candidate of the draftees. Seventh-round tight end Jaheim Bell earned a roster spot as the Patriots' third tight end behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. Bell stood out during the final week-plus of training camp as he received more reps.
Relying on receiver depth
The Patriots kept seven receivers and placed wideout Kendrick Bourne on the physically unable to perform list. Bourne will miss at least the first four games. DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton felt like roster locks, but it was interesting to see the Patriots keep both Jalen Reagor and Kayshon Boutte. Boutte feels like New England's first cut should it try to add a receiver off the waiver wire.
Right call on Bailey Zappe
The Patriots made the right call by not rewarding Zappe a roster spot. Because despite the fact Jacoby Brissett was injured in the preseason finale, there is no reason for Zappe to take up a roster spot. Should Brissett get hurt and miss time, the Patriots can add another veteran off the open market. Zappe might even be available, though it's unknown whether he would want to return to New England after such a rollercoaster tenure.
Shaun Wade surprise?
Given how deep the Patriots cornerback room is, it wasn't a huge surprise to see Wade cut. The Patriots were always going to have to make some tough decisions there and still kept seven cornerbacks on the roster with the rookie Dial likely earning the final spot.
Undrafted streak resets
Dell Pettus was a long shot to make New England's 53-man roster, but the undrafted free agent made it. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo spoke highly about Pettus during training camp and said it was important for undrafted players like Pettus to know they would have a fair shot to make the Patriots.
Different skillset in backfield
JaMycal Hasty beat out Kevin Harris for the third spot in the running back room. Harris looked to hold the early edge in the competition, and his catch-and-run in the preseason finale made it feel like he did enough to earn the job. But the Patriots clearly wanted to add a different skill to the group headlined by Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. The 5-foot-8 pass-catching back might provide that as Alex Van Pelt relies on screen passes.
