New England Patriots Projected Cuts

The New England Patriots will be whittling down their roster to 75 players on Monday, which means that ten players will be cut from a roster that currently has 85 men on it. The earliest cuts will be veterans, as they are released early as a courtesy so they can find a new team sooner.

Over at ESPN Boston, Field Yates picked the ten players that he thinks will get cut from the Patriots by 4:00 p.m. eastern tomorrow. I agree with the players he picked, and safety Will Allen and defensive lineman Tim Bulman are two of those “early release veterans” on the “cut watch”. Allen is a versatile defensive back who has depth value for another NFL team, but he isn’t a player the Patriots need with the young depth they have in the defensive backfield. The maximum number of DBs that they will keep is 11, and that number will likely be around ten.

Wide receiver Jesse Holley should be able to find work somewhere else, and he caught seven passes for 169 yards (one catch going for 77 yards) for the Dallas Cowboys last season. He can latch on to a team as a fifth or sixth receiver, and he did catch a touchdown pass from Ryan Mallett on Friday.

Tackle Dustin Waldron was once on the roster bubble, and he should also be able to sign on with another team.

Big name veterans who could be cut are Dont’e Stallworth and Dan Koppen, with Stallworth being the more likely cut. He played poorly in the past two preseason games after Deion Branch’s display on Monday, and he simply isn’t a consistent enough receiver. Jabar Gaffney is injured and his roster spot isn’t a guarantee either, but he is a more consistent receiver and had a productive 2011 season that will, in my mind, help keep him on the roster.

The Boston Globe, link above, also lists Gerard Warren and Tracy White as potential cuts. I don’t see Warren making the 53-man roster anyway, so he could get the early axe. As for White, they Patriots will likely hold on to him until the next round due to uneven displays from Jeff Tarpinian and Niko Koutouvides on Friday.

As for the ten we see cut on Monday, I think Warren gets cut over Waldron as a courtesy for the veteran defensive tackle. Otherwise, I am in complete agreement with the ten players Yates picked.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.