Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Foxboro Fifty Three: New England Patriots 53-man Roster Analysis - 9/7/2020

Episode Date: September 7, 2020

For all 32 NFL teams, roster building is a difficult process. The added complexities of the tumultuous year that has been 2020, have made this one of the most challenging offseasons in recent memory. For the New England Patriots, the Cam Newton era is about to begin. Today, host, Mike D’Abate breaks down the team’s efforts to trim its roster to the 53 members, with which they choose to march into the upcoming season. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.ManscapedGo to Manscaped.com and use code LOCKED to get 20% Off and Free Shipping. Manscaped is #1 in men’s below the belt grooming and offers precision-engineered tools for your family jewels.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get $10 off your first order.cbdMdRight now you can try the amazing duo of CBD Freeze and CBD Recover topicals and everything else cbdMd has to offer. They’re offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order at cbdmd.comwhen you use the promo code LOCKEDONNFL at checkout.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. Welcome to 53-Man Monday here on the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Greetings and salutations, Pats Nation, and a very happy Labor Day to all of you out there as well.

My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which, of course, is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And, folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback, always welcomed, greatly appreciated. Share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some holiday weekend cruising through the Twitterverse,

please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. And then there were 53. That's right, Pats fans. Over the weekend, your New England Patriots trim their roster to the initial 53-man squad that will march into the 2020 NFL season starting in less than one week. That's right, folks. Next week here on Locked on Patriots, one week from today,

we'll be talking post-game analysis from the Patriots' season opener against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, September 13th at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And I think I speak for football fans everywhere when I say it will be great to see NFL football back on the field, live action, and an on-time start. Who would have thought it just a few months ago, folks? But here we are. And even though the holiday weekend continues for some, if not most of us today, the cut-down weekend for your New England Patriots is now in the books. And today here on the pod, I'll be giving you my analysis of the Patriots' 53-man roster,

also the 16-player practice squad that the Patriots made official on Sunday evening, including a couple of ex-Tennessee Titans that might be joining the fold. If they do join the fold, that may necessitate a couple of extra roster moves, and I will get into what that means for the Patriots in just a moment as well. And of course, we'll bring it all home here on Locked On Patriots when I reveal my surprise of the weekend. And if you kept a sharp eye on Patriots Twitter throughout the weekend, you know that there were more than a couple of surprising moves that the Pats made. But one of them had, shall we say, a leg up on the competition.

Come on, folks, it's Labor Day weekend. You didn't think I wasn't going to slip in a lame dad joke, did you? Of course I was going to. And even though I may have tipped my hand as to what I believed was the surprise of the weekend, I will offer my opinion on why I believe it may not be as categorically insane as most would have you believe. So settle in, folks, as I break down anything and everything roster-related when it comes to your 2020 New England Patriots on this Labor Day edition of the Locked On Patriots podcast. But even though I will be giving you my notes, analysis, and opinion

on the finished product of the initial 53-man club coming up in the podcast, I'll start by revealing the names of those that made the cut. And we start at the quarterback position, where the Patriots will carry not one, not two, but three quarterbacks. And this was expected, folks. Captain Cam Newton headlines, he will be your starter. Backed up by Jarrett Stidham and, of course, by Brian Hoyer as well.

Four running backs made the cut. Sonny Michel, James White, Damian Harris, and Rex Burkhead. Jakob Johnson, the lone official fullback on the list. Patriots carry three tight ends in this roster incarnation. Rookies Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, and incumbent Ryan Izzo. And a bit of a surprise, and I'll get to my reasons on that a little bit later here today, folks. The Patriots carried 10 offensive linemen. David Andrews, Shaq Mason, Joe Tooney, Isaiah Wynn, Jermaine Illuminor, Yodney

Kajust, Yelda Frohold, Justin Heron, Michael Onwenu, and Corey Cunningham. Again, that's a lot of linemen, but the Patriots did have a very good reason for it, and I'll provide my thoughts on that shortly. On the opposite side of the ball, the Patriots will carry eight defensive linemen, headlined by Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler, John Simon, Chase Winovich, Dietrich Wise, Byron Cowart, Bo Allen, and Derek Rivers. The Pats will be five deep at linebackers, starting with Juwan Bentley. Joining him will be Brandon Copeland, Shaliqua Calhoun, Anthony Jennings, and Josh Uche. No big surprises in the secondary. It still remains the deepest and most prolific spot on the roster.

Six corners make the team. Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty, Joanne Williams, and Justin Bethel. The team will also carry five safeties in Devin McCourty, Terrence Brooks, Adrian Phillips, Cody Davis, and Kyle Duggar. The next positional grouping sees us head back over to the other side of the ball for just a moment. Because depending on the chart you're looking at at the time, you'll see the Patriots carrying either five or six of these guys.

I'm talking wide receivers. Of course, Julian Edelman, Nikhil Harry, Damir Bird, Jacoby Myers, and folks, they did it again. The meme and the dream continue. The Patriots once again made that man a gunner. Gunnar Ryszewski rounds out the wide receiver core, meaning the Patriots are carrying five receivers. But are they really carrying five receivers? Well, technically, Matthew Slater, who is the special teams captain, is listed on the

depth chart as a wide receiver. However, Slater is really considered a specialist. And for those of you scoring at home, you'll notice that, including Slater, the Patriots' roster count is now at 51. That leaves two spots. One of them goes to the long snapper Joe Cardona, and the last one goes to the punter Jake Bailey. Notice anything missing? That's right, folks. No kicker. Both Justin Rohrwasser and Nick Folk left on the cutting room floor. And before anyone starts conjuring up images of Jake Bailey taking on the kicking and punting duties, folks, that's not likely to happen, at least not on a regular basis anyway. But I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to say that this was the surprise of the weekend.

The Patriots forming a 53-man roster without anyone at the kicking position. But as Saturday gave way into Sunday, the moves did start to make a little more sense, and as I hinted at earlier in the show, I'll provide my thoughts on the Patriots' kicking situation, including why the moves they made at the position this weekend might not be as crazy as everyone originally thought. But the lack of a kicker may not have been the only surprise for some of you this weekend. I know there were at least a few names that you were hoping to see pop up on the 53-man

roster that didn't, but you'll be happy to know that some of those names weren't expatriates for long, because a good number of Saturday's cuts became Sunday's practice squad members. And as they did on Saturday evening with the 53-man roster, on Sunday evening the Patriots made their 16-member practice squad official, starting with two-way player Rashard Berry, who in camp played a little outside linebacker and even a little tight end. Also at the linebacker position, Tayshaun Bauer rejoins the practice squad, as does cornerback Miles Bryant. Tight end Jake Burt, local boy out of Boston College.

Linebacker Therese Hall. Linebacker Cash me outside Malalea. A little surprised he didn't make the 53-man, folks, but Cash apparently will be back in Foxborough. Defensive tackle Bill Murray. That's right, folks, the Cinderella story continues. The story also continues for former Navy midshipman, tight end slash fullback Paul Quisenberry. Cornerback D'Angelo Ross is back, as is wide receiver Devin Ross. Defensive tackle Nick Thurman.

Defensive tackle Xavier Williams. Wide receiver Isaiah Zuber. The man who running backs coach Ivan Fears called Little Dion, tackle Nick Thurman, defensive tackle Xavier Williams, wide receiver Isaiah Zuber, the man who running backs coach Ivan Fears called Little Dion, J.J. Taylor is back in the fold, and of course rounding out the practice squad are kicker Justin Rohrwasser and kicker Nick Folk. That's right folks, the Patriots have no kickers on their 53-man roster, but two on their practice squad. I know it sounds a little crazy, but I will do my best to provide a little clarification on that in just a bit. But earlier, you heard me refer to two

ex-Tennessee Titans possibly joining the fold here in New England. Well, neither one of those two players were officially listed on the Patriots practice squad by the team on Sunday evening. But it was reported that the Patriots were believed to be adding rookie wide receiver Mason Kinsey and fellow undrafted rookie wideout Christian Wilkerson, who also is a former Tennessee Titan. Wilkerson played his college ball at Southeast Missouri State. He holds all-time career records there in receiving yards with 3,540 and touchdown catches at 33. As for Kinsey, he put up some pretty exciting numbers in college as well, went to Division III Berry College, where he caught 203 passes for 3,343 yards and 50 touchdowns. But neither of these signings was made official over the weekend,

meaning that the Patriots will likely have to make a couple of roster moves in order to fit either Kinsey or Wilkerson onto the roster. And that might mean an IR designation or an injured reserve designation for one or even two Patriots later today. So keep a sharp eye on the wire, folks. We know that Bo Allen has had his injury problems throughout camp, barely saw the training camp practice fields. Gunnar Ryszewski has been held out of practice for the last couple of days. Damian Harris is nursing a hand injury. Any of them could be IR candidates. So there are still some moving parts on this roster, folks,

and this should be a reminder to us all that even though the 53-man roster has been set, along with the practice squad, these are initial cuts, and roster building is always a fluid process throughout the year. But congratulations to all the members of the 2020 New England Patriots 53-man roster, as well as the practice squad. But not all the names you know and wanted were among them eight other players remain unaccounted for after being let go by the Patriots this past Saturday quarterback Brian Lewerke wide receivers Andre Bechelia tight end Paul Butler offensive lineman

Ben Braden and Tyler Gothier and linebacker Dajon Scuda Harris who had gained some traction to possibly make the Patriots 53-man roster. Ultimately, it looks like he'll be signing with the Green Bay Packers practice squad. That may already be official by the time you're listening to this podcast. If not, we expect that announcement to come later on Monday. And last but certainly not least, the two most high-profile names that many expected to see at least on a Patriots practice squad, if not the 53-man roster, were running back Lamar Miller and wide receiver Jeff Thomas.

Both of these guys definitely check the box when it comes to talent, but in terms of health and an on-field resume so far in 2020, neither one of them really had much to go on. But did the Patriots make a mistake by leaving both Lamar Miller and Jeff Thomas on the cutting room floor? Well, I'll adjust that question and much more in my analysis of the Patriots 53-man roster when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, the excitement is in the air, football fans, because we are mere hours away from the opening of the 2020 NFL season.

And this season, get football on your time with NFL Game Pass. You can catch every snap from every game with full game replays and see all of the plays in just 45 minutes with condensed games. You can relive all the gutsy calls, the crazy catches, the wild comebacks, and breakout stars from every game every week. It's all the action, all the football you can handle, all in one place. And NFL Game Pass is the only place that you can replay every game all season long. You'll also learn from the league's best players with over 40 NFL Game Pass film session episodes.

Go inside the game from a player's perspective as they break down the game's concepts and techniques. Learn from the best like Deshaun Watson, Stephon Gilmore, Devontae Adams, and many more. NFL Game Pass also provides access to the entire NFL Films archive, so don't delay. Go to nfl.com slash game pass to start your free trial today. NFL Game Pass, where football never stops. Patriots fans, your favorite football team in Foxborough was quite active both on Saturday and on Sunday. In order to trim down to the regular season limit of 53, the Pats had to part ways with a total of 24 players on Saturday. 16 of them came back to New England via the practice squad.

Now, some of those cuts and additions were more surprising than others. But one thing that is notable to mention, folks, is this weekend also led to the end of an era, and that is the streak of an undrafted rookie free agent making the initial 53-man roster. It started back in 2004 when cornerback Randall Gay survived the Patriots roster cutdown. That kicked off a pretty impressive streak that lasted over the last 16 seasons. At least one rookie free agent was able to survive the Patriots roster cutdown day. That was until Saturday.

And if I'm being honest folks I think this one comes with a caveat I've talked a lot here on the pod about the impact of COVID-19 on all NFL rosters the lack of OTAs mini camps opportunities for rookies to prove what they could do on the field obviously with no preseason games there was very little opportunity for rookies to show what they could do on the field as As a result, we saw the Patriots, and a lot of other NFL teams by the way folks, go with more established veterans, players with whom they had a familiarity, or at least a more extensive knowledge of their resume. But just because those undrafted rookie free agents didn't crack the 53-man roster, doesn't mean they won't make an impact for the Patriots this year. In fact,

I believe several of them will, both on defense and on offense, which is where I'll begin my deeper dive into the Patriots' 53-man roster. And what better place to start than the most high-profile, and it's the quarterback position. And there really wasn't any surprise here. Throughout most of training camp, most in the media, including myself, believe the Patriots would carry three quarterbacks. Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer. Cam, of course, named the Patriots would carry three quarterbacks. Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer. Cam, of course, named the Patriots starter, named a team captain. He's going to lead the offense into the regular season opener against the Dolphins this week. And make no mistake about it, this is clearly the right choice.

Jarrett Stidham will once again be the team's primary backup, and I think that's a smart move. He has tremendous developmental upside and a great opportunity to grow as a quarterback, having observed last year under Tom Brady and this year under Cam Newton. I still stand by my assessment that Jarrett Stidham will be not only a capable, but a pretty formidable quarterback in the NFL. Had Cam Newton not signed in New England,

I think Jarrett would have been an effective starter this year. With Cam here in New England, there's no question about it. He deserves to be the starter, but Jarrett will continue to grow and develop. That being said, year. With Cam here in New England, there's no question about it. He deserves to be the starter, but Jarrett will continue to grow and develop. That being said, I think it was a smart move to keep Brian Hoyer here as well. Hoyer offers a tremendous amount of experience, is one of the best scout team quarterbacks you'll find anywhere in the NFL. And folks, let's not kid ourselves. COVID-19 is still very much real. It's a possibility. And when teams start traveling

and become exposed to one another, you run the risk of players contracting this virus. Therefore, carrying three quarterbacks provides you with a little additional insurance. And when that insurance has the experience of a guy like Brian Hoyer, you're putting yourself in a pretty good spot. So in my assessment,

the quarterback position is pretty well in hand. And I would say the same thing for the next positional grouping, the running backs. And for all intents and purposes, folks, I'll include Jakob Johnson as fullback in this group. We'll call it the offensive backfield. Here, the Patriots held on to Rex Burkhead, Damian Harris, Jakob Johnson, Sonny Michel, and James White. Michel and Harris, if Harris is healthy, are the clear one-two punch on early downs. Rex Burkhead remains your change of pace

running back. James White, as solid as they come, I've said it several times here on the pod, one of the best receiving backs in the game. Jakob Johnson takes on the fullback role, and when you look at this group as a whole, it's a pretty stacked running back core. Now there were two notable names that didn't make the initial cut, Lamar Miller and J.J. Taylor. When it comes to a veteran like Lamar Miller, he doesn't have to rewrite his resume. It's already well stacked. The talent is definitely there, as is the experience. The reason why Lamar didn't make this roster, folks? Health. If we're being honest, Miller really didn't have a very big window to make a case. Once he was activated off the physically

unable to perform list, the Patriots immediately started to heavily test his conditioning. But shortly after word broke that Miller was being released, Dr. Jessica Flynn, who joined us here on the pod a couple of weeks ago, explained that recovery from multi-ligament ACL and MCL injuries is even tougher than recovering from just an ACL, which is tough in its own right. And Dr. Flynn expressed hope that Miller will be able to improve even more in the months to come, leading some to believe that the Patriots might maintain an interest from afar. But in the immediate, in the short term, just wasn't enough incentive for the team to keep

him around. That's why I didn't see Miller's release as being all that surprising. And most of us who cover the team locally didn't either. Some who cover the NFL on a national level did describe this as being a surprise cut, but again, I think that's more because of Miller's background and his reputation than anything else. For what it's worth, as of the time I'm recording this podcast, Lamar Miller still remains a free agent, so I wouldn't quite give up hope just yet that you won't see him in a Patriots uniform once again. But at least for the time being, the team is moving on without him.

The other name that I had previously mentioned was J.J. Taylor, and Taylor had himself a tremendous camp. He displayed the ability to be a shifty back that can be explosive with the ball in his hands. Ivan Fierce even described him as quote-unquote little Dion, meaning that he reminded him so much of Dion Lewis. Might be small in stature, but as Shakespeare once said, though he be but little, he is fierce. And even though I had left Taylor off of my 53-man roster projection, I was not surprised at all to see the Patriots retain his services on the practice squad. And if Damian Harris's injury keeps him out for any period of time, extended or otherwise, don't be a bit surprised to see Taylor either called up to the 53-man roster or end up becoming one of those protected players on the practice

squad. I can definitely tell you the Patriots brass really likes this kid, and I foresee a bright future for J.J. Taylor right here in New England. No major surprises for me at the tight end position. Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene were roster locks. I know a lot of people say that because the Patriots spent third round draft capital to bring them both in. A lot of that is true, but both of them played their way onto this roster independent of that draft status. Asiassi sputtered a little at camp toward the end because he was nursing an injury, but he showed tremendous prowess as being a tight end one, both as a blocker and a receiver in the open field. Keane had a bit of a steeper learning curve, but he can make plays happen in the field. Very adept blocker,

and I think he's going to make his impact felt both in an H-back role and as a tight end two. Izzo, on the other hand, will be your rotational depthback role and as a tight end too. Izzo on the other hand will be your rotational depth tight end or a tight end three but he also brings something to the table that Asiasi and Keane can't and that's real game experience within the Patriots system. He also should get credit for having a pretty good camp. He really showed a tremendous amount of growth as a blocker and at times flashed the ability to make some plays. Patriots also maintain some good practice squad depth here, bringing back Rashad Berry, who can play both on offense and on defense.

Boston College's Jake Burt has some talent, especially when it comes to blocking and making plays in the open field. He'll benefit from a year on the practice squad. And of course, Paul Quisenberry, the former Navy guy. He's more of a tight end depth piece at the H-back or even the fullback position. But in terms of depth on the active roster, the Patriots are pretty well set at tight end, and it's essentially what I expected. One of the eyebrow raisers for me was the Patriots deciding to carry 10 offensive linemen. I had projected them to carry 9, I've even seen some that projected them to carry as little as 8, but the Patriots deciding to carry 10 here tells me one of two things.

Either they feel that there's a wealth of talent on the offensive line, or that there's a great deal of inexperience. Folks, I go back to one of my favorite quotes from Aristotle, virtue lies in the middle, and I think that's exactly what's happening here. The Patriots obviously feel that they have a great deal of talent on this offensive line, but some of these players might just not yet be ready for primetime. They chose to carry five players that could project at the tackle position. Isaiah Wynn and Jermaine Illuminor are locked in as the starting tackles on the left and the right.

Wynn's job, it was never in doubt. As for Illuminor, well, I give him a lot of credit for parlaying a very impressive camp into earning the starting right tackle job vacated by Marcus Cannon. Prior to camp, I thought that job was going to go to Yadni Kajust, who had a pretty quiet training camp. But don't forget, folks, he's coming off a year-long stint on the non-football injury list. I still think the Patriots see a lot of upside. He's a former third-round draft pick as well. There's definitely a lot of talent in this kid, and I think the Patriots saw that, and that's why they did not want to give up on him. For those reasons, they

chose to keep around a guy like Corey Cunningham, who started off having a pretty good camp. He tailed off a little at the end, but he does bring experience at the tackle position, and I think he'll be a solid depth piece. As a rookie, Justin Herron showed a lot of upside, but not a whole lot of experience, so the Patriots did the smart thing by keeping five offensive tackles. They're also going to carry five members on the interior of the offensive line. David Andrews, Shaq Mason, Joe Tooney. That's one of the best starting trios in football

when it comes to the interior offensive line. All of them established veterans. None of their jobs were ever in question. The primary interior backup here is likely going to be Yelda Frohold, who proved himself to be a very capable and versatile backup. Look for Yelda to take on that Ted Karras role, the role that he held prior to 2019 when he had to start in place of David Andrews. That versatile type of lineman that can really play all over the interior of the offensive line. Last but certainly not least, Michael Onwenu. Some had him cracking the 53-man roster, others didn't. And look, I'll be the first to admit that Onwenu definitely needs some work, but he is that type of developmental prospect that gains the size and the athleticism that

are going to make him a very good offensive lineman in the NFL. I think the Patriots realized that, and they didn't want to take the risk of losing him by exposing him to waivers. So, 10 offensive linemen might be a little much, but when you consider the depth and the importance of the position this year, I think the Patriots did the smart thing. Last but certainly not least on offense, folks, is the wide receiver position, and this one is going to be the most polarizing. Let's face it, it always is. If we're all being honest, the Patriots are a bit light at wide receiver.

Julian Edelman, Nikhil Harry, they're the unquestioned number one and two. Beyond that, they do have some question marks. Jacoby Myers and Gunnar Roschelski are both back for their sophomore seasons. And look, all the meme jokes aside, folks, Gunnar played his way back onto this team. On Friday, you heard Matt Chatham sing his praises of him looking stronger, quicker, really coming into his own as a pro. As for Myers, he may not have had the most impressive training camp, but look, the talent is still there. If he's healthy and he can recapture some of the magic that he had early on in the 2019 season, he might end up being a favorite target of Cam Newton, so keep an eye on Jacoby Myers this year, folks.

Damir Bird is a logical choice to make this team. He brings some veteran experience along with very impressive speed. He worked well with Cam Newton throughout camp, and again, most roster projections had him making the team. The name that seemed to capture everyone's attention this weekend was Jeff Thomas, and I know a lot of you out there, myself included, were a little upset when you heard that Thomas was not going to be making the 53-man roster. After all, for the last few weeks, all we've been hearing about is his upside, how explosive he is with the ball in his hands. Blazing speed, great hands, a player that the Patriots couldn't possibly walk away from. Well, for better or for worse, folks, they did it. And a big reason why seems to be that he just didn't see that much of

the playing field. And if you're Jeff Thomas and you're competing with players like Gunnar Ryszelski, Demir Bird, and Jacoby Myers for a spot on this club, the Patriots were far more likely to go with the player with the more established resume, especially in a season like this. So when you take that under account, Thomas not making the 53-man roster really doesn't seem all that shocking. What probably was a little more shocking, or maybe even upsetting depending on your point of view, was that Thomas was not among the players that the Patriots brought back on Sunday to join the practice squad. If you want that Lloyd Christmas, so you're telling me there's a chance type of news surrounding Thomas, well, the good news is, folks, is that he didn't join anyone else's

practice squad on Sunday either. Once again, folks, this tells me one of two things. Either Thomas and his camp feel that he will be given a chance to join an NFL team's 53-man roster, or maybe there's something more than meets the eye when it comes to Jeff Thomas. Let me be clear that I have not heard one negative thing said about Jeff from anyone close to the team. There were no indications that any of those quote-unquote character issues that surfaced at the University of Miami were a problem here in New England, but Thomas was one of the more hyped undrafted rookie free agents, not just in New

England, but all over the NFL this year. If I'm being honest, it does strike me as being a little odd that he wasn't either claimed on waivers or promptly signed to a practice squad position. Once again, it could very well be that Thomas and his camp are holding out for a spot on a 53-man roster. If that's the case, his days in New England are probably over. But if Thomas' options are not all that abundant, he may discover that his best shot to make an impact in the NFL might just be right here in New England.

So that takes care of the Patriots' offense, but you know what they say about defense, folks. That's right, it wins championships. And in just a moment, I'll flip the script and talk about the defensive side of the ball and how the Patriots' roster stacks up. I'll even give my opinion on the Patriots kicking situation. All this and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, we've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated.

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Patriots fans, I've opined on the offense, and now we're going to delve into the defense. Starting with the interior of the defensive line, and the Patriots retain the services of five defensive tackles. Bo Allen, Adam Butler, Byron Cowart, Lawrence Guy, and Dietrich Wise Jr. Now, of course, this area was a little bit of a question mark considering that the Patriots had parted ways with Danny Shelton, who played the nose tackle here last year so well. On Friday, you heard Matt Chatham say that was one of the big reasons why

the Patriots were able to play the 3-4 defense so effectively. Bo Allen was the guy they signed to come in and play that Danny Shelton role, but the problem is, he hasn't participated in a single training camp practice, and a lot of people are speculating that he could be a prime candidate to be moved to injured reserve. If that happens, that would open up a roster spot. Now, who might fill that roster spot? I'll tell you what, we'll come back to that one in a moment. Back to the positional grouping at defensive tackle, and look, Adam Butler and Lawrence Guy were roster locks before training camp even opened. They only solidified just how valuable they are to this roster by their performances in training camp.

As for Byron Cowart and Dietrich Weiss, they really played their way onto this roster by having stellar training camps. Cowart came in and showed that not only can he be an effective pass rusher, but also greatly improved as a run blocker. And if Allen is going to miss any extended time, Byron Cowart proved that he can step in and do an adept job at taking his place. Byes on the other hand came into camp a little bit heavier, seemed to have a more deliberate approach when playing the position, and looked a lot more comfortable when getting after the passer. So even though there is still some questions surrounding this position, the Patriots should still be pretty solid at defensive tackle. I move on to the linebacker position where the Patriots went eight deep.

Four on the outside, three in the move linebacker position, and one on the inside. The outsiders are headlined by John Simon and Chase Winovich, who are both projected to play prominent roles in 2020. They'll be your fixtures on the outside. Shaliqui Calhoun and Derek Rivers both made the team due to some solid training camp performances. These guys provide depth, not only on special teams, more so with Calhoun than with Rivers on special teams, but also in the pass rush.

And this is where Rivers shines. I was really happy to see Derek make this team. He's had some tough luck in recent years when it comes to injuries. If he's healthy, I look for him to have a productive year and might even open some eyes at the outside linebacker position. As for the move linebackers, the Patriots went with three here. Two rookies and one veteran. Anthony Jennings, Josh Uche, and Brandon Copeland.

Last year, these roles were filled by Dante Hightower and Jamie Collins. The move position doesn't just align on the defensive edge. They also drop back to play as an inside linebacker on occasion as well. This year, they look to be handing those duties off to the rookies, because both Jennings and Ushe were used in that fashion, and by most training camp accounts, they looked pretty good while doing it. Copeland, on the other hand, played this role pretty well when he was with the New York Jets, so look for him to add some stability and some veteran leadership while mentoring the rookies here. Last but certainly not least is the inside linebacker position, and the Patriots really have one true inside linebacker on this roster. That's Juwan

Bentley. We all know that Juwan is taking over as the on-field signal caller for Dante Hightower, but his versatility on the field speaks for itself. Bentley is going to be called upon in downhill run defense, pass rush, and even in coverage. He may have a lot on his shoulders, but he's more than capable of carrying the weight. Bentley should be solid all season long, but if it's discovered that he needs any help, I think the Patriots might look to promote Cash Malawi from the practice squad and elevate him to the 53-man roster. Cash had a strong training camp, and I actually thought he would crack the 53-man, but the fact that the Patriots were able to pull him back on the practice squad was definitely a plus for them, and it's my assessment that at some point this season,

he'll be adding depth along the linebacker chart. And folks, we've arrived at the secondary, and as I said to open the show today, it's still the deepest and most prolific spot on this roster. Patriots carrying six cornerbacks, and you know this is an impressive group when players like Miles Bryant and D'Angelo Ross weren't able to crack the roster despite having stellar training camps. The good thing for the Patriots is that they were able to retain both Bryant and Ross via the practice squad, so it's definitely not out of the question that either one or both might be in the mix for some

action at the cornerback position this year. That being said, it's going to be tough to crack this list of incumbents, folks. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore, one of the most underrated corners in the NFL in J.C. Jackson. Jonathan Jones, always solid in the slot. Jason McCourty, another corner that just always seems to be in the right place at the right time. And Juwan Williams, who is listed as a corner, but we've seen him taking a lot of snaps at safety. He may end up being one of the more versatile players in the defensive backfield for the Patriots. And speaking of versatility, that leads me quite nicely into the safeties. And again, I was not surprised in the least that the Patriots chose to carry five. Terrence Brooks had a phenomenal training camp. Really, I think most

closely mirrored what Patrick Chung gave you on the field last year. And because of that, I look for Terrence to see some significant time on the field in 2020. Based on his utilization in camp, Cody Davis looks to be taking on that Nate Ebner role, providing some depth at safety, but really being more of a special team's prowess target. Of course, folks, you all know my feelings on Adrian Phillips. Plenty of experience, plenty of positional versatility. It was not a surprise at all for me to see the Patriots retain him. Of course, the rookie Kyle Duggar probably having the biggest upside of anyone at this position. And then Devin McCourty, the undisputed leader of this group.

Once again, the captain and the backbone of that defensive backfield. But folks, there is one area on this roster I've yet to address, and that is the specialist positions. Jake Bailey at the punter position, Joe Cardona at the long snapper position, neither one of these guys were going anywhere. But throughout training camp, there was an interesting kicking competition that was going on. Would it be the rookie, Justin Rohrwasser, the guy the Patriots had spent a fifth-round

draft pick to bring in during the 2020 NFL Draft? Or would it be last year's incumbent, Nick Folk, brought back at the beginning of training camp? Well, folks, I was as shocked as anyone when the Patriots cut not only Rohrwasser, but also Folk. This left them without a kicker on the 53-man roster, and at least in my opinion, was clearly the surprise of the weekend. And much like they did just a few months ago when Bill Belichick used a fifth-round draft pick on a kicker, the majority of the Patriots fan base, including a lot of members

of the media, begged the question, what the hell is Bill doing now? How could he leave us without a kicker? And folks, in all fairness, I don't think anyone really believed that the Patriots were going to head into this season without an established kicker. And as much as some, including myself at times, have thought about whether or not Jake Bailey could handle double duty, the possibility was always highly unlikely at the very best. Now, some had logically questioned whether or not Bill would look to bring these guys back on the practice squad. Others thought that maybe the team had simply seen enough of both of these guys and were looking to go in a different direction. After all, there were a couple of free agent options out there, two of which were

former Buffalo Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka, who, as we know, has experience kicking in the elements having kicked in Buffalo, and former Indianapolis Colts kicker Chase McLaughlin, incidentally whom the Patriots had placed a claim on last year when he became available after being released by the San Francisco 49ers. So which way was Bill going to go? Well, on Sunday, the picture became a little clearer, and all of a sudden, this absolutely insane move that Bill Belichick had made made just a little bit more sense. The Patriots chose to sign both Nick Folk and Justin Rohrwasser to the practice squad.

So I know, you're all asking me, Mike, why does this all of a sudden make sense now? Well, in order to place a player on injured reserve and have him be eligible to return during the same season, he must maintain a spot on the 53-man roster until 4pm today on Monday. So by not using a roster spot for a kicker on Saturday, it freed the Patriots to be able to use that roster spot on a player that will likely be placed on injured reserve. Maybe Bo Allen, maybe Damian Harris, maybe even both. If that's the case, it allows

the Patriots to promote one of the kickers to the active roster and still maintain the services of the other on the practice squad. I would say that it's a very safe bet that that will happen. And if you're painting me into a corner on this, I would say the team promotes Nick Fulk, keeps Justin Roerwas around the practice squad, and allow him more time to develop into the kicker that Bill Belichick and the Patriots believe he will be. After all, folks, they used a fifth-round pick on this kid for a reason. They saw something in him. They obviously still do because they brought him back to the practice squad.

And even though this move was a little unorthodox, it wasn't exactly the craziness that some would have had you believe. So will this game of musical kickers end up being Bill Belichick's latest playing chess when everyone else is playing checkers? Well, that may end up being determined by the amount of success that the Patriots have in the kicking game this year. And while the answer to that question is still uncertain, one thing is certain. The initial 53-man roster for your 2020 New England Patriots is set, and the Patriots

are now on to Miami. And all week long here on Locked On Patriots, we will be looking ahead to the Patriots is set and the Patriots are now on to Miami. And all week long here on Locked On Patriots, we will be looking ahead to the Patriots home opener and season opener against the Dolphins right here in Foxborough on Sunday, September 13th. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. Download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts.

Once again, my name is Mike DeBate, and I thank you all so much for listening and for remaining locked into Locked on Patriots. As always, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a happy Labor Day, everyone.