5 players who won't be on the Patriots' 53-man roster come Week 1

J.J. Taylor

Maybe before Ezekiel Elliott was signed last week, J.J. Taylor would've had a better chance of making the team. But with the one-two punch of Elliott and Stevenson solidified and the presumed backups being Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr., Taylor will likely make the practice squad or will be looking for a new team come September.

Since signing with the team in 2020, Taylor hasn't been able to find his footing within the offense. At the time, Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris, Sony Michel, and James White were the prioritized running backs, for good reason, which ultimately worked against Taylor to get much time on the field.

On top of that, it was the season with Cam Newton operating the offense under center. A mobile quarterback is a recipe for lightened workloads for running backs, especially those not at the top of the depth chart.

Ironically, 2020 was Taylor's most productive season of his career. And since then, he's only seen less time on the field and limited involvement in the offense overall, as most of his time has been spent on the practice squad.

Unlike the receiving group, the running back room is not being questioned regarding who will make the team vs who won't. Because it's basically already established three weeks before the season, Taylor will be relegated to the practice squad again, if not completely cut from the team.