The shift towards more two tight end sets could see Johnson lose some of his workload as a fullback, however, the roster exemption and Bellichick and Josh McDaniels’ affinity for a hard nose fullback keep him on the roster. While the duo of Smith and Henry is far from that of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, it’s the closest thing the Patriots have seen since and will be the strength of this offense in the 2021 season. Free-agent additions of Smith and Henry however turn this position from one of the weakest to one of the deepest in the league. The Patriots were by far the worst in the league at tight end last season. Much like the wide receiving corps, the tight end room is also getting a facelift. Tight End (3): Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Devin Asiasi, Jakob Johnson (Roster Exemption) But you can check this for the original link: Your browser does not support the audio element. Wide Receiver (5): Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski, N’Keal Harry However, should N’Keal Harry either get traded or land on the PUP list or if Sony Michel finds his way into a trade package, look for Bolden to re-join the 53 man roster. Brandon Bolden is an unfortunate roster casualty. Taylor offers upside and insurance as a pass-catching back with White on a one-year contract, as well as contributing on special teams. Michel will serve as the primary backup and spell Harris between the tackles but will be challenged by Stevenson for this role after a strong performance in week one of the preseason, rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 10 attempts. Harris seems like a lock to be the week one starter while White projects to be the primary pass-catching back. The problems faced by the Patriots at the running back position are good problems to have. Running Back (5): Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, Rhamondre Stevenson, J.J. Hoyer is not worth the roster spot but is definitely worth keeping around and will likely be able to slide onto the practice squad serving as a mentor for Jones. If this pattern continues over the next few weeks, there may just be an official quarterback competition on the Patriots’ hands. Jones put forward a strong performance in the first two weeks of the preseason, as well as the previous two weeks in camp. While Bill Belichick and the rest of the New England coaching staff appear to be set on Newton being the week one starter, don’t rule out the 2021 first-round pick just yet. Throughout Patriots training camp one of the biggest questions remained who would be the week 1 starter at the quarterback position. Quarterback (2): Cam Newton, Mac Jones, Jarrett Stidham (PUP) Here is what the Patriots’ 53 man roster can be expected to look like following the second week of preseason action. Projecting this roster isn’t an exact science and there’s usually at least one surprise cut leading into opening day. Players on the roster bubble will have one final chance to showcase their skillset in a live-action setting and make their case to the coaching staff why they belong on the opening day 53 man roster. There is still a lot of work left to be done and many tough decisions to be made. With the new preseason format, the second week now rather than the third will likely be where the starters get most of their run prior to resting before the regular-season opener. The Patriots roster for 2021 is finally starting to take shape.
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