With the Preseason over and final rosters due in soon, here is my projected final 53-man roster for the New England Patriots.

OFFENSE:

Quarterback (2)- Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo

Note: Brady's nullified suspension spelled the end to any talks of Ryan Lindley breaking camp with New England.

Running Back (4)- LaGarrette Blount,* Jonas Gray, Brandon Bloden, Dion Lewis, James White

Note: Blount does not count against the initial 53 as he will sit out week one due to a suspension.

Wide Receiver (6)- Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Reggie Wayne, Aaron Dobson, Matthew Slater

Note: Chris Harper is a tough cut here, because he played really well in the preseason. In the end, though, Dobson is a former high draft pick and has just enough more upside. Slater is here because of position designation though he will see his action almost exclusively on special teams.

Tight End (4)- Rob Gronkowski, Scot Chandler, Michael Hoomanawanui, Michael Williams

Note: With the recent injury to fullback James Develin, Hoomanawanui could slide into his role in the offense. A move like that could open the door for other tight end options Michael Williams to make the roster. He also adds versatility as a blocking option and could always find his way back to the offensive line at some point, if needed.

Offensive Line (9)- Sebastian Vollmer, Nate Solder, Ryan Wendell, Tre' Jackson, Shaq Mason, Marcus Cannon, Bryan Stork, Josh Kline, Cameron Fleming

Note: Undrafted rookie David Andrews just misses the cut here as the returns of Stork and Wendell give the Pats depth at the center position.

DEFENSE:

Defensive Line (10)- Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard, Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga, Malcom Brown, Trey Flowers, Alan Branch, Rufus Johnson, Geneo Grissom

Note: This list might include one more end then the team needs but Rufus Johnson has played so well in the last few weeks that I think he's got to be there.

Linebacker (5)- Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, Jerod Mayo, James Morris, Jonathan Freeny

Note: A lot of people calling for Eric Martin to crack the roster with this group, possibly in place of Morris or Freeny. I'll take the two I've got marked down.

Cornerback (5)- Malcolm Butler, Tarell Brown, Bradley Fletcher, Logan Ryan, Robert McClain

Note: Nothing super surprising here. Youngster Dax Swanson gets cut and maybe added to practice squad.

Safety (5)- Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Jordan Richards, Duron Harmon, Nate Ebner

Note: I've got Ebner narrowly beating out Tavon Wilson for a roster spot here, primarily based on special teams play. Ebner is the punt protector on the punt coverage team and has done a nice job in that role for the past few years.

Special Teams (3)- Stephen Gostkowski, Ryan Allen, Joe Cardona

Note: No competition for these three spots.

Bubble Guys Who Could Sneek In- Harper, Wilson, Andrews, running back Travaris Cadet, Swanson

Note: I could make a case for all of these guys but based on either overcrowding their respective positions or injury concerns I've left them on the outside looking in. No one ever really knows what New England head coach Bill Belichick has up his sleeve, when it comes to projecting the final roster. I'm sure there will be one or two surprises when the team releases their final 53-man squad.

 

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