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6 dark horse candidates to make New England Patriots roster

By Connor Fulton

Aug 26, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; New England Patriots running back Tyler Gaffney (36) evades Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; New England Patriots running back Tyler Gaffney (36) evades Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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A.J. Derby Patriots roster
Aug 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end A.J. Derby (86) makes the catch against Chicago Bears outside linebacker Jonathan Anderson (58) in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Patriots roster dark horse #2 – A.J. Derby

Derby is neck-and-neck with Clay Harbor for the No. 3 tight end spot behind Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett, and it’s going to be a photo finish. The Patriots signed Harbor to a generous deal over the offseason, indicating that they were pretty interested in tucking him in behind Gronk and Bennett. But Derby has been consistently impressive all training camp, particularly standing out by catching passes in traffic.

Patriots 2016 season prediction

After being selected by the Patriots in the sixth round in 2015, Derby saw his rookie season cut short when he was placed on injured reserve in early August. You can bet that the Arkansas product was squirming in his seat all season to get a crack at the Patriots roster again; certainly, Derby has to be considered a dark horse to make the final roster.

Next: Dark horse #3 - Ted Karras

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