There are still three weeks until the 2023 regular season begins, but before that, all teams have one more preseason game to play. It's one of the last opportunities currently signed players will have to prove why they deserve a spot on the final 53-man roster for their current team.
Even though three weeks seems like a reasonable amount of time, in the sports world, it's not. Practices become even more critical during that period, and all will have to outshine their teammates to give themselves the best chance of not being cut.
Looking at the Patriots, there are a lot of roster battles to keep an eye on. Although many veterans feel like roster locks, New England is going through many changes in hopes to combat having a repeat of the 2022 season. That means nearly everyone is playing for a spot.
However, given what we have already seen from the team on the practice field and now two preseason games, there are some indications of who is lagging behind.
These are just five players who are not likely to make the Patriots team this season.
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.
Trace McSorley
The Patriots currently roster four quarterbacks, and they'll likely go into the regular season with at least three of them. Unfortunately for Trace McSorley, he will probably be the odd one out.
When he was initially signed earlier this year, it was clear Bill Belichick was trying to maintain a similar play style of quarterback on the team. Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, and McSorley are not known for being very mobile, which is a safe way for New England to maintain consistency in the position. However, that changed with the rise of rookie UDFA Malik Cunningham throughout training camp and the preseason.
If that continues throughout the remaining practices and games over the next few weeks, it's hard to imagine how McSorley would beat him out on cut-down day. Things change quickly in the NFL, so it's not impossible. But considering how electric Cunninghman has looked so far, his chances of falling flat on his face soon seem slim to none.
Because of any uncertainty Belichick may have regarding Jones or the backups, it wouldn't be shocking to see McSorley moved to the practice squad for insurance. We haven't seen enough from him yet to believe he ultimately should make the roster, especially over Cunningham, but keeping him within arms reach wouldn't be a bad idea.
Myles Bryant
A controversial player amongst Patriots fans, Myles Bryant is undoubtedly on the roster bubble heading into the season.
Because of his inconsistency since joining the team in 2020, he's constantly been a name connected to the chopping block. Although he's had some outstanding moments throughout his career in New England, he's also had moments on the opposite side of the spectrum, leaving most asking themselves, "What was he thinking?"
That issue, combined with a seemingly stacked cornerback room led by Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones, makes Bryant's chances to overcome the odds against him seem slim.
He would certainly be a quality depth piece, with his experience, understanding of how the Patriots operate, and his positional flexibility. But he will have to have impressive practices and showings in preseason over the next few weeks to potentially change his fate for the 2023 season.
Nick Folk
This could be more debatable than the others since Nick Folk provides veteran assurance in special teams that may be needed as the Patriots try to forget how poorly the unit performed last season. However, Chad Ryland has continuously performed well beyond expectations and could very easily lock up the starting position this summer.
Since joining the team in 2019, Folk has been one of if not the most consistent players on the Patriots team, regardless of position. He filled the void left by Stephen Gostkowski, and although he was apparently not meant to remain on the team long-term, his performance kept him from going elsewhere over the last four seasons.
But some of that changed last season, when he missed five field goals in total, becoming his most misses in New England. That may become a trend, as he will be turning 39 mid-season.
Other than a possible decline in performance, there's a reason Bill Belichick traded up to select Ryland in the draft. As one of the best of the 2023 class, the head coach knows he needed to prioritize the position overall, especially after an uncharacteristically poor outing by the special teams in 2022.
If the rookie can continue to shine through the remainder of the preseason, it's fair to assume Folk will be on the outs if not sent to the practice squad.
Tre Nixon
As the infamous last draft pick by the now-retired but legendary Ernie Adams, Tre Nixon has had much to live up to since he was drafted in 2021.
Since the Patriots signed him, he has remained on the practice squad and hasn't been able to showcase why that should change. Even though the receiving corps has been highly debated and questioned throughout the last two years, Nixon has a lot of competition to get through to make the final roster, which became an even more challenging task with the re-signing of DeVante Parker earlier this year.
There was a good chance he would have the opportunity to demonstrate exactly why he should finally be moved to the 53-man roster this preseason, but through two games so far, not much had changed from when he first joined the team.
Unfortunately for Nixon, the sporadic standout moments he's had during practice and preseason games over the last two seasons still appear not to be enough to push another receiver out. And because of that, he will likely remain on the practice squad in 2023.