New England Patriots Set Initial 2024 53-Man Roster: Who’s In? Who’s Out? Surprise Cuts and More

three quarterbacks three running backs and nine deep at a position where your New England Patriots still need some help the 53 man roster is set stick around you're about to be locked in to the lock on Patriots [Music] podcast you are locked on Patriots your daily New England Patriots podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day now to all of you Foxboro faithful and thank you once again for making lockon Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage remember locked on Patriots is not only a proud part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day but we are also free and available on all platforms including YouTube so smash that subscribe button and download and follow lockon Patriots wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you're getting the latest episode as soon as it's available I'm your host Mike debate I cover you in England Patriots for Patriots country of Athlon Sports so reach out to me let me know what's on your mind on X at mdab tnfl and while you're out there showing some love to locked on Patriots social media Style please follow our account there as well at lore Patriots and Pats fans today's episode brought to you by FanDuel now through September 22nd all FanDuel customers can bet $5 and get a three-week free trial of NFL Sunday tickets from YouTube and YouTube TV visit fanduel.com lockon to get started and Pats fans your New England Patriots have set their initial 53 man roster for 2024 and of course remember folks we're calling this the initial 53 man roster there are tweaks there are little adjustments that will be made between now and opening day so be sure to keep a sharp eye out for those roster adjustments and we'll continue to bring you the latest here on lock on Patriots but this evening we're going to go down all of the Avenues we're going to bring you the UPS the Downs the surprises and where this team still needs help but we're going to start things off at the quarterback position and joining me here today to break down all of the Patriots roster moves is my esteemed colleague of Patriots country of Athlon Sports you know his great work from wnsp and Mobile Alabama he is my good friend Michael Broner Michael thank you for joining me today welcome back to lock down Patriots absolutely it's always a pleasure Mike thanks for having me once again anytime my friend and I'm so glad that you were able to join me here on roster cutdown day because it's a big day in Patriots Nation really it's a big day throughout all of the NFL there's a lot of roster activity going on your New England Patriots were certainly not averse to that they were not immune to it they had to cut down their team from 90 to 53 and did that within a span of about 48 hours we're going to get to all of the roster moves today folks and we're going to get to all of the ins and outs and the ups and downs here but I wanted to read you a stat first Mike before we start getting into some of the other positions on the team because arguably all eyes were on the quarterbacks and a lot of people wanted to know are the Pats going to go four deep at the quarterback position are they only going to carry three could they possibly shock everyone and only carry two well we got our answer Mike they're carrying three quarterbacks and last season in 2023 the Patriots rostered eight quarterbacks throughout the entire season this is not all at one time folks but throughout the entire season eight players were on the quarterback depth chart for your New England Patriots M Jones Bailey zappy Trace Murley Malik Cunningham Matt caral Ian book Will Greer and Nathan roor well all of those eight players are no longer in a New England Patriots uniform as of 4M on Tuesday bilyy zappy one of the cuts this year I don't want to say it was unexpected I don't want to say it was shocking but it was still a bit of a surprise to see his name on the list Mike when you watched and you looked at bayy zappy being the odd man out what were your reactions to that and what are your reactions to the Patriots carrying three quarterbacks for the initial 53 man roster yeah I never expected them to carry four that it was kind of seemed like a little bit of a ridiculous idea to me and and mayo kind of it was weird he kind of entertained the possibility of that he or he said you know during um during the Spring that they wanted to go into camp with all four which is fine I don't know I I think zappy playing in the preseason was a little bit of a waste of time I think we kind of know what we have from bayy zappy and it's not to it's not to uh you know kick bayy zappy when he's down and out the door already I he he did some fine things he went 500 as a starter on a terrible team uh and one some games for the team so you know props to bayy zappi and appreciate everything he did he was never going to make this team I don't think there was ever really a chance he was going to make this team Joe Milton would have had to look so obviously brette and uh May were locks but Joe Milton would have had to look so so so bad uh and show just about nothing which ironically is kind of what happened during his senior year at Tennessee uh and you know people who watch college football especially the SEC know that pretty well that's why no one was clamoring for their team to draft Joe Milton but you know you know about the arm strength you know about the speed so he's at least an exciting prospect did enough especially in the Carolina game he was exciting enough where yeah I mean he's the third quarterback why would we not keep uh Joe melden over letting bayy zappy try to get an opportunity somewhere else and I think this is probably the best case for bayy zappy too like I'd seen people throw out would he come back to the practice squad and I don't know why he would I think there's a lot of teams out there who need a backup quarterback right now you look at a team like Minnesota someone like that uh you know Z sappy should get an opportunity elsewhere and I think he will I'd be surprised if he's not on a roster uh but in terms of a surprise no I mean this is there was one way this this quarterback situation was going to play out and I think you saw that today yeah I agree with you um and I know there have been times here on these Airwaves where that has been discussed my good friend Thomas Murphy joined us here yesterday and said that it was an idea that the Patriots should at least kick the tires on because if jacobe brassette does indeed have any type of shoulder problems lingering shoulder problems from the injury he sustained in the preseason finale then you're possibly looking at having Drake come in when he's not ready or Joe Milton coming in when he's completely not ready it makes sense to have a veteran on staff but I agree I don't think that it was ever going to be zappy I think that if the Patriots are going to roster a veteran on the practice squad I think you're going to see him come in from outside the organization I don't believe it's going to be someone internally look the past couple of years that Bailey zappy has been in quarterback room he's done everything the Patriots have asked him to do he came in made the starts when he needed to I think played fairly well throughout the most part of it there were some times where he did look like a career backup or he did look like he was having his struggles and wasn't capable of being the sustained starter for this team but by and large I think he gave you an opportunity to at least be competitive in most of the games that he played in and you got to give him credit for that zappy is probably not going to stick around via the practice Squad I'd be very surprised if that happened um I know a lot of people were saying well it happened last year folks it was a completely different circumstance last year Patriots cleared out their entire quarterback room with the exception of M Jones and there were Rumblings about the reasons why in terms of being able to manage the roster a little bit better gain some roster spots that they normally wouldn't have had utilize the practice squad and the elevations to their maximum ability and it allowed them to be able to do that with zappy and sign him to the 53 man roster at a later time they're not under those restraints this year and second of all bayy has years under his belt now he's not going to want to hang around when he feels that there probably will be options out there for him and a chance for him to be able to lock on maybe as a backup option and maybe even get a spot start you mentioned Minnesota yeah I think they'd be uh interested in someone like Bailey so obviously the Patriots had their opportunities to keep four quarterbacks they didn't bayy zappy is the odd man out I give him a tip of the cap on the way out because again I do think he did everything the Patriots asked him to do including come into this preseason and this offseason workout program with a lot of class I think he handled his situation very well uh I think he was a good teammate for the most part at least from those that I've spoken to close to the organization so definitely deserves some credit on that and we wish him well no matter where he ends up but Michael the question beckons now the Patriots are going with a completely different quarterback room than they had last year the veteran jacobe brassette still the front runner in my opinion to get the starting nod Drake May nipping it his heels I think that Handover happens earlier than we thought it would and Joe Milton gonna be the third guy in that room now what are your thoughts on the Patriots quarterback situation as it's currently constituted I think I like everyone else would like to see Drake may start there's no question about that I mean we know it's probably going to be a long season if Drake May comes in and shows anything you know it's a no one's expecting him to come in and be CJ stra and take the team to the playoffs and have a borderline MVP year as a rookie no one is expecting especially with what the team has to work with but I think you saw it's I way back and forth how to how to judge especially the Washington preseason game because Washington rested what was 34 of their starters they didn't play they didn't play a single uh starter on Sunday night in Washington so Drake did some really good things but at the same time it was against guys who got cut today so you you have to uh you have to understand that and you have to weigh that in at the same time with the the state of the offensive line is the obvious you know I'm sure we'll talk about that later that's the big elephant in the room you know Elliot wolf has said and gerod Mayo has said we don't want to just throw jacobe to the Wolves you know we want whoever the starter is to be our and of course they're gonna say that publicly but at the same time you imagine if Drake May came in started the season you know week three against San Francisco he had a season ending injury that's a disaster for the coaching staff and for the front office especially if it was likely due to poor offensive line play so I I guess I'm for jacobe starting the year I just don't think like I think May should be starting by week five after that you know four game stretch at the beginning I think that's how most people feel but is anyone that much that confident that things are going to be that much better by week five on the offensive line they are by week one I think he's shown that you know in terms of WEA dur the storm of offensive line issues there's no one better on the roster equipped than Drake May to do that just be you know by escaping and you saw the third and 14 uh on the on the third play of his first drive on Sunday when he scrambles out the middle I didn't even know he was that fast I knew he could move but I mean he showed another gear so I I think Drake May which I didn't think this was going to be the case I think Drake May does give this team the best chance to win football games but it's you know you got to weigh the the fact that the offensive line is a mess and you don't want your rookie quarterback to go out there and get hurt yeah I definitely agree with you on the fact that Drake May does give them the best chance to win and probably is the most exciting quarterback of all the three to watch with the exception of maybe watching Joe mitton launch a 70 yard pass out there that arm is impressive you'd love to see it but at the same time you also look at now what jacobe can bring to the table and that is the ability to read at the line of scrimmage and the ability to pick things up that maybe a rookie any rookie may have difficulty doing in a especially when you're looking at the makeshift offensive line I think the Patriots are right now looking at the plan that they set for Drake prior to the offseason workout program prior to rookie mini camp prior to mini camp and then obviously training camp they see things usme morals don't see when it comes to what their preparation is going to look like and what their expectations are think Alex vanel Scott Peters TC McCartney obviously Gerard Mayo is the head coach they're all looking right now in Through the Looking Glass and they're not seeing just black and white they're seeing the gray areas of where Drake May is either ready for pro level uh competition or maybe not ready for their plans there's not a lot not to like about his game you mentioned him being able to go off script and make plays and things that you usually don't see from a rookie quarterback but at this time uh I think the Patriots are probably going to be prudent knowing what they're going to have to go through when it comes to uh you know getting their quarterback ready and getting their roster ready so those are the reasons why I believe jacobe will be the starter to start the season but I think you're right I think right around week five you're going to start to see that itch from the fans definitely from the media and I think from the players themselves they want to go out there and they want to be a part of something that's going to be the long-term future of this team not necessarily just the shortterm so that's just scratching the surface when it comes to the New England Patriots roster some surprises along the way for the New England Patriots who was the top surprise and what does it mean for the roster as a whole Mike Broner and I will talk about that and more when this episode of the lock on Patriots podcast continues right here on the lockon podcast Network your team every day lock down listeners you've heard us talk a lot about FanDuel America's number one sports book and with the NFL season fast approaching I know you all out there in Patriots Nation are going to be looking at FanDuel for all of their offerings regarding the Patriots opener against the Bengals the home opener against the Seahawks and so much more well we have something a 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of our fantasy analysts working tirelessly to bring you the Insight that you can find only here on the locked on podcast Network to help you win your fantasy league locked on fantasy football just like locked on Patriots is a proud part of the lock on podcast Network your team every day and joining me here today to help break down the Patriots 53 man roster the surprises and what's to come is my good friend and my esteemed colleague at Athlon Sports Patriots country Michael Broner and Mike we've talked about the Patriots quarterback position obviously the most popular of the topics on Cut Down day is going to be where the Patriots quarterbacks are going they're three strong right now with jacobe brassette Drake May and Joe Milton but a lot of the other positions did have some surprise cuts and there were a lot of surprise retentions as a result I don't want to steal your thunder my friend I want you to go in fresh without any lead whatsoever when you look at this roster from top to bottom offense and defense what was the biggest surprise cut from this team either one or several players that you expected to make the 53 man roster that didn't make it this time around I'll actually take it another Direction and give you a surprise guy that made the roster I was shocked to see kesan bout make the roster and the team is currently carrying seven receivers with Kendrick Bourne designated to return uh as well hopefully after four weeks we'll see what happens there he's going to start the season on the pup list and uh we'll see what happens I don't know if the plan at this point is to you know bring bring Bourne back after four weeks and then release someone who's currently in the room I have a hard time believing that they're gonna roster eight receivers when Bourne does come back so I I mean there's seven guys on there right now and I I don't know what the plan is long and I think a lot of Patriots fans are excited about the potential of boute uh and I get why and he's made he made some plays this preseason the reports around him were really positive uh throughout Camp I I just I did not expect them to carry seven receivers and he was kind of the felt like he was going to be the oddd man out just because of the value Jaylen rer brings to the Special Teams I don't know if rer is going to be the odd man out I maybe you know boute has an audition for the first month of the Season uh to see what happen because obviously borne is a lock once he comes back as he should be uh but moving forward from there I mean they're carrying Douglas pulk Baker Osborne rer Thorton and boute so I mean that's seven guys I it was an interesting situation in the wide receiver room because obviously ly there's near the bottom of the league no one's going to question that but there were still seven eight even nine guys who you could make a legitimate argument for they should be on the roster so I didn't know what they were going to do it seemed like someone was going to be the odd man out and as it appears no one was the odd man out at least not yet booty is someone that I've talked about several times here on these Airwaves about being someone I would retain uh and the reason I said that I would retain Quan is not only because of the explosive ability that he has in terms of being a potential weapon at the catch point but his ability to run routes I think is something that Alex vanel and this Patriots offensive coaching staff is going to love to see and love to be able to roster in the future Quan had a very good spring he had a very good summer an even better summer uh disappeared a little bit in the final preseason game which I thought could make his ability to make this roster a bit tenable but obviously the Patriots saw enough in the previous two preseason games and all throughout the preseason and all throughout the training camp process in order to be able to give him that roster spot now obviously tawon Thornton was someone at the beginning a lot of people thought was going to have difficulty cracking this 53 man roster he went out there and had a very good summer and really came in bulked up a little bit showed and put in the work and I think impressed the coaching staff enough to be able to earn him not just a spot on this roster but a prominent one he may end up being one of your starters I think when all is said and done he will be Patriots are seven deep at Wide Receiver right now but that is also a very precarious position to be in because like we said the Patriots may still be adding to this roster and making tweaks if you're gonna do that that is a possibility that they may look to that positional group to be able to make Cuts so keep a sharp eye there that's a very good choice in terms of uh booty being someone who is a surprise make on this roster a lot of people had him on the outside looking in and I understand where you're coming from it's yeah cuz like bu and I hadn't even thought of the point that you just brought up that uh they'll probably claim someone off a waiver they're definitely going to claim someone off waivers we'll talk about that uh in a little bit but you know who's the next guy who's the odd man out at that point I would personally rather keep boute than rer I because I don't think rer is gonna bring you anything in on the offensive side of the ball for the most I mean we've seen that through three years of his NFL career it's he's he's fast but that's about it so I understand he's valuable on special teams but you have a lot of guys on this team who can excel in the Special Teams Department I get the argument for you know having a designated returner on the roster but when you have Marcus Jones and Demario Douglas and guys like that uh who can do it just as well I understand they're more Demario Douglas especially God they made me nervous having him returning punts in the preseason uh but yeah I mean ultimately one still may be cut so it's going to be an interesting thing to keep an eye on again I'm not upset that they kept boute I was just definitely a little bit surprised yeah and I think a lot of people were when it came to those types of decisions and I think you're going to find that you're very like-minded with a lot of Patriots fans out there in terms of having booty on this roster I think he gives you more upside than regger as well I'm in agreement with you there but we'll see if the Special Teams acument is as important to the Patriots as it has been in years past I think that could be an interesting decision for them to make but that's where I believe they may look to trim uh some of the roster fat so to speak if they are going to pick up some players on the waiver wire or keep an active eye on who's available even post waiver wire and post Cuts uh to see who they may want to add in terms of veterans so very astute observation Michael um I'm going to go a little bit of a different route here in terms of who I thought was a surprise cut for this team and that's Kevin Harris I really expected throughout this uh preseason process throughout training camp that Kevin had done enough to earn a roster spot I thought his knowledge of the system would give him a little bit of a leg up on the competition and that's not to say that jich Hasty did not earn his way onto this roster I fully believe that he did and I actually if I were making the roster decisions would have carried four running backs I think Alex Vel loves the Run he uses the run to establish everything that makes this offense go and to me if you're going to try to protect a Young quarterback or protect any quarterback against a makeshift offensive line you want to make sure that these guys that that are going out there have the ability to do it and I think that someone like a jichael hasty gives you a shiftiness a burst that gives you that ability to kind of have some uncertainty because this kid can receive out of the back field as well I love uh that part of jichael hey's game 20 receptions along with 126 receiving yards and three total touchdowns during his time with the Jaguars so this kid can get the job done there but Harris is not only that guy that can give you that ability that strength in the red zone to be able to power in touchdowns from a couple of yards out but he showed you the other night that he's got a strong initial burst something that I don't think he gets enough credit for as well as the ability to make tacklers Miss so maybe the Patriots see something we don't maybe they bring back Kevin as a member of the practice squad or maybe he did enough to Warrant a spot on someone else's 53 man roster and he gets picked up in short time folks will be able to see that when the Patriots and all NFL teams enter that process and the Waiver Wires will be complete tomorrow so keep a sharp eye we're going to be back here again tomorrow to break down all of the Patriots roster moves right here on lock on Patriots but Michael as much as roster surprises are fun to talk about the biggest question on the 53 men roster for every team is what does it mean now for this team that's about to take the field we know what the Patriots roster is going to look like but where are the biggest needs where are the biggest roster holes that still exist on this team I think everybody's going to point at the offensive line and we're going to talk a little bit about the offensive line but we're not going to leave the rest of the roster on The Cutting Room floor either Mike and I are going to discuss our thoughts on where the biggest needs are for your New England Patriots when this episode of the locked on Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the lockon podcast Network your team every day [Music] Pats fans thank you once again for joining us here today on lockon Patriots and it is 53 man roster cut down day for your New England Patriots Pats carrying three quarterbacks three running backs nine offensive linemen seven cornerbacks five safeties yeah the Patriots definitely going deep at a lot of BigTime positions but what on this roster still concerns the Foxboro faithful what catches the sharp eye of guys like me and my good friend Michael Brown are joining me here today on this show Breaking all of it down what is going to catch our sharp eye as the Patriots biggest needs still to come one thing that we can all agree on Mike is that roster cutdown day for all NFL teams there are still going to be positions of need for all teams there's still going to be places on this roster where you believe the Patriots or any team needs to upgrade for the purposes of our conversation today folks we're going to limit to the Patriots because after all it is locked on Patriots so Mike when you look up at this roster where on this roster do you believe the Patriots deficiencies are the greatest and which areas do you believe they're going to address in short order the offensive line I I mean it's if there's a if there's an area where you said glaring weakness I mean Sunday was and I get it was a preseason game albe it against non NFL starters was truly one of the worst offensive line performances I've ever seen uh in terms of penalties Chuck sooka for just took another you know legal procedure penalty as we sit here today it feels like I mean he took 12 of them uh and of course negated that awesome Drake May rolling out to his left touchdown and I don't know I don't think you're finding a franchise left tackle on uh on the waiver wire but some depth and then you know City s got hurt in the Pres game I haven't seen a status update on him uh but you know maybe Cole strange is back earlier than expected he's starting to see he's not starting the season on the IR he's starting it on the uh the pup list so I guess that's a a positive sign uh but man I mean it's it's ugly there it it it's really really bad and it's you know the reason why we opened the the show today talking about you know why jacobe Brett is probably going to start because I do believe if the offensive line wasn't a complete liability Drake May would be starting week one uh so you know kind of just Is What It Is Well I mean I saw a guy like um will clap was released by the Lions today he's a center I don't know if he's played some guard uh in his career I hadn't I hadn't looked a ton at the at the offensive linemen who are released but you know there's talent that there's better Talent out there than is in the room right now so you know not to take the obvious I would say running back depth as well I'm glad you brought up Kevin Harris he's who I would have said uh if I didn't if B didn't catch my eye on the surprises so yeah I I would love to see them bring back Kevin Harris on the practice squad probably would have rather seen them keep Harris over hasty but it is I think you're almost splitting Harris at that point uh between the two of them so you know three running backs and seven wide receivers I I am a little bit concerned about running back depth I feel pretty good about where the defense is at as a whole um you know you're putting you're asking a lot of a Keon white but it is what it is uh and then linebacker wise I kind of expected uh Joe Giles Harris to make the roster over Christian Ellis so that was a little bit of a a surprise there but I don't really have any issue with any of the moves they made there I think you know if they're going to knowing now they have to release a guy to bring in a guy I mean it's offensive line and keep an eye on that seven deep wide receiver group also the seven deep Corner grp yeah without question and I think it begins and ends with the offensive line I don't think anyone is surprised to hear us talk about where the Patriots need to upgrade and look at the lineman that made the team J aor 4 City so David Andrews Michael wenu vieran low Kaden Wallace leyen Robinson Nick Leverett Michael Jordan um Michael a little bit of a surprise maybe over a guy like Calvin Anderson who got released with an injury designation um but you're not looking at guys that really I think a lot of people expected to make this roster Antonio Mafi I think is someone the Patriots wanted to give a look at as a potential backup center and it simply did not work out and I think Nick Leverett ended up beating him out for that now that's not to say that they're issue free when it comes to backup center because Jake Andrews is on season ending IR his season is over if David Andrews has a moment where he can't get in there and play or he's going to be out for any extended period of time and folks no I'm not giving you inside information this is all hypothetical we're hoping that David has a completely healthy season and does not have any problem um you're looking at a liability because you're seeing snap issues coming from that middle when David Andrews is not under Center or he's not snapping the ball so this is something that needs to be addressed uh you mentioned will clap it wouldn't surprise me to see the Patriots maybe go in in line for a center or someone that can come in and play backup center move Nick lever back to his traditional position as a guard utilize him in that fashion um I think also the Patriots are going to have to be very mindful of the health of both low and now City so who left Sunday nights game in the nation's capital in a walking boot uh usually not a good sign we're awaiting any type of official confirmation of exactly what happen and what city's um status is going to be Patriots are scheduled to hit the practice field on Wednesday afternoon I think that's going to be Telltale to find out if he's there if he's going to be out for an extended period of time New England definitely uh will have to watch that but the fact that he wasn't given an injury designation leading into this game leads me to believe that if he is going to be out it won't be for a long period of time so obviously the offensive line Mike is going to be the area where the Patriots are going to look to upgrade most if you had to pick a secondary area right now not necessarily the secondary but a secondary area uh where the Patriots might look for additional help I know you mentioned running backs any other area where you'd look uh where you'd say on this roster that the Patriots may need to either upgrade or make some moves I feel pretty good like I said running back uh I wouldn't be surprised if there was some ret there certainly someone brought in on the practice squad we'll see what happens we didn't really talk about the kicker battle either I think when uh you know I don't think a franchise kicker is coming available at any time I think when Joey Sly got brought in you know Chad ryland's clock started ticking which is unfortunate because they invested serious draft draft Capital into him as a kicker uh but no I mean I for as negative as I kind of am on this roster I think I feel pretty okay about where they're at in terms of you know upgrading us being realistically able to upgrade a spot on uh you know in waivers people they were talking about uh Trent Williams in San Francisco today he's dissatisfied he's holding out so unless you're trading uh two or three first round picks for Trent Williams and giving him a uh a giant money deal which honestly is not the worst idea I would kind of be all forward if they did do that but unless you're pulling off a move like that I think uh what you see is what you get with this roster at this point yeah I agree with you and I'm glad that you mentioned the kicker battle because I actually think the Patriots are pretty well set in that regard and will be for the remainder of the season I was impressed by what I saw from Joey's slide um he was able to kick for distance uh all right he attempted a 64 y against the commanders the other night did not make that that's a very difficult kick to make under any circumstances hopefully the Patriots are not going to be putting him into 60 plus all that much but this kid has got the leg to be able to get it done he's got veteran Savvy veteran experience the ability to be able to make kicks in difficult conditions and I think he also is well built and well situated to be able to adapt to some of these new kickoff rules where the kicker is going to have to be a little little bit more physical than in years past Joey came in and I think earned this job Chad Ryland I think at this point uh you know you've seen what his opportunities were here in New England had every opportunity to earn this job did not do so maybe a change in scenery helps him out or who knows knows maybe he comes back to this team as a member of the practice squad carrying a practice squad kicker is a smart move and a very good move for the New England Patriots or any NFL team so it wouldn't surprise me to see Ryland come back and maybe be the practice squad kicker here if he's able to clear but um that's an area I don't think they need to upgrade you did mention earlier with the running backs I wouldn't surprise me to see them try to retain the services of uh Kevin Harris but there are some running backs out there uh Frank Gore junor was Cut Loose by the other Buffalo Bills that was a little bit of a surprise to me I thought he had done enough to show his ability uh to be someone that could be relied upon as a reserve option maybe the Patriots kick the tires on him he's got some explosive ability in those legs and some great pedigree uh when it comes to being a running back his dad was uh one of the best to do it during his era um he showed over the weekend that him and his father shared a postgame hug after the Buffalo Bills in the Carolina Panthers preseason finale uh dad still looks like he can put on a few pads and uh maybe give about 50 yards off the bench so uh maybe some of that rubs off who knows folks the Patriots have a lot of decisions to make but the 53 man roster is set who do the Patriots leave off that you believe should still be on this team who did the Patriots roster that you believe should have been jettison Mike and I have given you our thoughts we want to hear what you think so drop a note in the comments section below and you can feel free to reach out to us at any time on social media at mdab a tnfl and of course you can reach out to Mike on Twitter M Bronner wnsp Mike what can I say I thank you for joining us here today on 53 man roster cutdown day it's a hectic day for anyone that covers the NFL and we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to join us Before I Let You Go please let everyone know what they can expect from the great pen the great voice of Michael Broner heading into now what's going to be the home stretch and the Readiness of week one in the NFL yeah check out uh Patriots country on Athlon Sports you know Mike and I are doing a lot of good stuff there you can uh catch my thoughts and ramblings on the Patriots always at M Broner wnsp on Twitter b r a u n r absolutely folks and anytime Mike puts pen to paper or voice to microphone when it comes to wnsp it's appointment reading appointment listening appointment viewing you're always going to be well well informed well entertained and you can't ask for anything more than that and don't don't forget to keep it right here on the lockon podcast Network for your next episode of lockon Patriots where we continue to evaluate the Patriots roster did the Patriots make a waiver claim if so who's a new member of this roster if not did they do the right thing by going with this initial 53 all those questions will be answered in due time and of course it's never too early to take an early look at Joe burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals which will be the New England Patriots week one opponent all of that and more right here on the locked on Patriots podcast but in the meantime I'm your host Mike debate and on behalf of my guest today Michael Broner I encourage all of you to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world have a great day everyone and we'll see you back here again next time unlocked on Patriots