Patriots players not in uniform for preseason finale hints at upcoming roster cuts

Many eyes are on the Patriots for their Sunday night preseason finale matchup against the Commanders. It's the last chance the current 90-man roster will have to prove they deserve a spot on the 2024 roster, with plenty of players on the bubble needing to impress in tonight's game.

Jerod Mayo had already declared that every healthy player would partake in the final game of the offseason, detailing how the quarterback snaps would be split up as well. But that doesn't appear to be the case based on what beat reporters have seen on the field in warmups.

Per several Patriots reporters, including Patriots.com writer Evan Lazar, the team has a long list of players not suited up for tonight's game, some of whom are certainly roster locks. Others might hint at who isn't going to make the team come Tuesday's cutdown deadline.

Some players, like Vederian Lowe, Marte Mapu, and Oshane Ximines, have reportedly been dealing with injuries. But other names on the list, like Mitchell Wilcox and Armon Watts, have not been, so it's possible they won't be making the 2024 roster if they're not playing in the game.

It's all speculation at this point, and perhaps it's drawing conclusions that aren't appropriate at this time. However, it is the final game of the preseason, and evaluating the roster ahead of cutdown day is crucial. Seeing fringe players who are not suited for the game brings on a lot of questions about their status with the team.

We'll have to wait until Tuesday to see if the inactive list proves to be a precursor to what will inevitably come, which is certainly unfortunate for that handful of players who needed a standout game in Washington, D.C., tonight.

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