Examining New England Patriots rookies snap counts through Week 3

7. Elandon Roberts (UFA signing)

Total snaps: 6

Percentage of total defensive snaps: 3.05%

Week 1 snaps: 0

Week 2 snaps: 6

Week 3 snaps: 0

All six of Elandon Roberts’ defensive snaps up to this point came in Week 2, and he assisted in a tackle in that game to crack the stat sheet.

It seems as though the Patriots are grooming Roberts to become their next Jonathan Freeny type. After all, Freeny is the guy who stands above Roberts on a depth chart headed by Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins.

Although a bit undersized for an interior linebacker, Roberts makes up for his diminutive stature with excellent tackling ability, as evidenced by his 88 solo tackles in 2015 that led the FBS. The Patriots clearly like the Houston product.

However, Roberts could be a possible demotion when Tom Brady returns to the active roster in Week 5, as the Patriots will need to bump a non-contributor to make room for their true starting quarterback.

Next: 6. Cyrus Jones