Patriots insider predicts some surprising cuts in 53-man roster projection

After a busy offseason highlighted by an earth-shattering free agent splurge and prolific showing in the NFL Draft, the New England Patriots’ reloaded roster seems poised to compete in the playoffs for the first time in three years.

In other words, the front office and coaching staff will have some shrewd decisions to make coming out of training camp when rosters must be cut to 53 players.

With such a deep roster, some players who don’t deserve to be cut unfortunately will end up with that fate.

While some positions — like quarterback, offensive line and linebacker — are pretty much set in stone for next season, the other areas of the roster could feature some surprising cuts due to an overwhelming surplus of options.

Well, with the draft officially in the rearview mirror, it might behoove Patriots fans to start preparing for the next ruthless portion of the offseason.

In his latest column for NBC Sports, reporter Phil Perry revealed his 53-man roster prediction. As we mentioned earlier, there were some surprising omissions.

Patriots reporter Phil Perry of NBC Sports had some surprising cuts in his 53-man roster prediction.

For the sake of time, we’re not going to do a position-by-position breakdown. Instead, we’ll shed light on some of the most eye-opening projections. First up is the running back position, and Sony Michel (!) failed to make Perry’s quintet of players.

The picture Perry paints suggests the No. 2 spot, assuming Damien Harris is the top option, will come down to either Michel or fourth-round pick Rhamondre Stevenson, who could be similarly effective between the tackles while also offering value on special teams. That could leave Michel, who just had his fifth-year option declined, on the outside looking in.

The next surprising omission came at the tight end position, where Dalton Keene got the nod over Devin Asiasi, who appeared in just nine games (three starts) as a rookie and caught two receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Following the signings of Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in free agency, it really wouldn’t make much sense for the Patriots to give both 2020 third-rounders a spot on the final roster. In this case, however, it’s Asiasi who ends up biting the bullet.

There weren’t any shocking cuts on the defensive side of the ball until we reached the cornerback position. That group, according to Perry, will consist of Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Justin Bethel, Myles Bryant (!) and Jalen Mills.

That means 2019 second-rounder Joejuan Williams, could be in danger of not making the team after he logged just 172 snaps last season. In this scenario, he’ll be replaced by Bryant, who played almost as many snaps (156) as a rookie despite not taking the field at all in the first seven weeks.

At 6-foot-3, Williams has rare size for a cornerback, so it would definitely be surprising if the Patriots cut ties with him just two years into his career. On the flip side, however, New England demands results and Williams’ time to prove he can contribute might be up.

That pretty much wraps it up, folks. While wideout N’Keal Harry’s inclusion on the roster was somewhat surprising, cutting him would be pointless if the Patriots are hopeful they can get something of value in return in a potential trade.

Bottom line? After running through the positions, we can say with confidence that this is as talented and balanced of a Patriots roster as we’ve seen in a few years.

Does Patriots’ fourth-round selection signal the end of Sony Michel?

Does the New England Patriots' fourth-round selection of Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson signal the end of Sony Michel?