New England Patriots: 53-man roster projection after two preseason games

With the regular season almost here for the New England Patriots, here is how their 53-man roster might look.

With two preseason games and nearly two weeks of training camp in the rear view mirror, Week 1 appears to be right around the corner. As the injuries mount and tempo increases, you can start putting together a working image of what the Patriots opening 53-man roster will look like come September.

The Patriots current roster currently sits at 89 players, so the team will have to shed 36 players with some earning a spot on the practice squad. Other players could end up on the Physically Unable to Perform List (PUP), meaning they may not practice or play within the first six weeks of the season. After the sixth week, the player must be allowed to return to practice, placed on injured reserved or released within five weeks.

There’s plenty of time left to earn a spot on the roster, so nothing is written in stone. New England will travel to Carolina this Friday for the teams third preseason game, which usually the starters play deep into. They then face the New York Giants the following Thursday for their final exhibition contest.

So in the mean time, here’s a crack at projecting the 53-man roster when New England opens their season against Houston.