New England Patriots: 53-man roster cut down analysis
By Hal Bent
The New England Patriots have cut their roster down to 53 players for the regular season. Here is some analysis from the roster cut down.
The New England Patriots have cut their roster from 90 players down to 53. There is still much to do as the bottom of the roster is going to churn. Any player from 48 to 53 is in jeopardy of being replaced by Week 2.
Until that happens, however, there is much to analyze with how this team has been constructed heading into Week 1 against Houston. Here is a quick look at how the Patriots’ roster looks after Saturday’s cutdowns.
QUARTERBACKS (2)
There was a late push by Patriots’ fans to include rookie Danny Etling to the 53-man roster. Nope. Did not happen.
Etling had a dramatic touchdown run in Week 4 of the preseason that overshadowed how he looked in the pocket. Of course, he looked unsure of himself, far from comfortable, and not accurate enough to be worth keeping on the roster. Adding him to the practice squad showed he has some potential.
Brady is entering his age 41 season which is truly uncharted territory. Can he reverse the aging process to carry the team with another MVP-level performance? He had better. Hoyer is not great, but he would do better than Matt Cassel did in 2008 at least if necessary. He knows this offense inside-out and that cannot be undersold.