The NFL calendar, like life itself, comes at ya fast.
A month ago New England opened training camp with all the hope, competition and opportunity that it represents still on the horizon.
Friday night in Las Vegas, the Patriots close out a week of work with the Raiders with the teams’ preseason finale, the final chance for players to make their final bid for the final spots on the roster.
By Tuesday, the hay of roster cuts down to the 53-man limit will be in the proverbial barn. By then the team will be moving toward preparations for the Sept. 11 regular season opener in Miami. Players will have either made the cut, landed on the practice squad or be looking or work elsewhere.
Even with a month of practice reps and preseason game action there remains uncertainty at a number of positions on the New England roster. With that in mind, here’s a look at five spots that probably could still use some pre-cutdown clarity in tonight’s preseason finale game action between the Patriots and the Raiders in Las Vegas.
1 – Cornerback: Jalen Mills has established himself as New England’s No. 1 cornerback. Jonathan Jones is going to have a key role, lately looking like he’ll be playing on the outside opposite Mills. Myles Bryant has made a nice run at taking over the slot role that Jones previously held, though rookie Marcus Jones may have a say in that spot as well. Fellow rookie Jack Jones remains very much in the mix. Terrance Mitchell seems like a solid journeyman veteran who could be leaned on for experience and it may be too early to give up on Shaun Wade in his second season. The versatility of Jabrill Peppers and Joshuah Bledsoe could also factor into the cornerback conversation when it comes to roster spots and roles. There are seemingly still a lot of balls in the air at the cornerback position heading into a matchup with Josh McDaniels-led Raiders offense that will certainly put the ball in the air. Tonight’s reps could add a layer analysis to the cornerback competition.
2 – Linebacker: Some clarity has developed at linebacker, but the position still has its questions. Returning vets Matthew Judon and Ja’Whaun Bentley have done their thing this summer. Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings have taken nice steps in their developments. Mack Wilson seems to have settled into his new home, while Raekwon McMillan has worked back from injury. Will that be the meat of the very much retooled position this season? Are guys like Cameron McGrone, Harvey Langi or Jahlani Tavai still in the conversation? Could someone like Wilson or McMillan not be on quite as solid ground as it seems? There’s still much to be proven at linebacker.
3 – Offensive line depth: When healthy it would appear that Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn are set at left and right tackle, respectively. Of course that doesn’t feel quite as locked down after both missed the second preseason contest. Beyond that there remains significant questions in regards to the tackle depth, Yodny Cajuste seemingly taking the lead from Justin Herron. On the inside, James Ferentz remains a trusted veteran, but undrafted rookie Kody Russey has come on strong for a roster spot as a backup option. The depth on the offensive line is questionable at best, so it could use all the positive action in the finale it can get.
4 – Running back depth: The top of the running back depth chart is set and seemingly strong. Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and veteran newcomer Ty Montgomery form an impressive, versatile core of guys who seemingly could all be three-down options. The question here is whether both rookie draft picks Pierre Strong Jr. (fourth round) and Kevin Harris (six round) have done enough to earn roster spots. It’s hard to envision a fourth-round pick like strong who was the fastest player at the position at the Combine getting cut. He also has return ability that helps his value. Harris is more of a true lead back option that would be more of a luxury than a need at this point. But you never know how a couple nice runs in the preseason finale might change the perspective on things here.
5 – Special teams roles: Oftentimes the final decision on final roster spots can be decided by work in the kicking game. Certainly New England has a number of ways it could go for core special teams roles and developing young players in the kicking game this summer. Veterans like Justin Bethel and Cody Davis represent the status quo. But undrafted rookie Brenden Schooler is certainly in the developmental mix. Lil’Jordan Humphrey has been impressive in the kicking game as he looks to secure a spot at wide receiver. Myles Bryant has flashed as a returner, while Marcus Jones brings All-American talent to that mix. Young defensive linemen like Sam Roberts, DaMarcus Mitchell or LaBryan Ray could boost their stock on fourth down as well. Few probably focus much attention on the special teams plays in the third preseason game of the summer, but it could be an area where jobs are won or lost on Friday night.
