Patriots Talk: Players That Have The Most To Prove
It is here. The final game of the preseason is tonight against the New York Giants. The Patriots now have to see who else can prove their worth and make the final cuts. With players like Julian Edelman falling to an ACL torn or Kony Ealy being traded, many roster spots are now left open. As of now, there are several players on the roster who still need to prove themselves to make the roster for the 2017 NFL season.
Austin Carr (Wide Receiver) - Arguably the most polarizing and most spoken name after hearing of Edelman’s injury is none other than Austin Carr. As of now, he has been a player that has done well in both training camp and in the preseason (especially his touchdown catch in the first preseason game against the Jaguars) Due to his ability to play in the slot that he was well-known for at Northwestern, he has been seen to make the fifth and final slot for the receiving position.With wide outs like Chris Hogan, Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola and Matthew Slater (mainly special teams) likely making the four top spots at wide receiver, Carr could make a push for the fifth spot of players like Cody Hollister with a strong performance tonight.
Brandon Bolden (Running Back) - While Bolden has been a major special teams players, with the addition of Marquis Flowers from the Cincinnati Bengals, his butt is on the hot seat. He provides little as a running back and with the amount of depth the Patriots have especially with strong performances from Dion Lewis, D.J Foster, and Mike Gillislee, he will be one of the few special teams who likely won’t be able to validate their position. The current picture looks like the end for Bolden unless he gets on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Cyrus Jones (Cornerback) - Oh boy, the one issue that seems to be a never ending concern is Mr. Cyrus Jones. Despite being the highest draft pick in the Patriots 2016 Draft, he has had severe difficulty adapting to the game. The player had these same issues at Alabama until his final year where he broke out. So far, Jones has shown little to no improvement as a defensive back and has been shown to be a liability as a punt/kick returner. He has mainly been competing with Eric Rowe for the slot corner back position, but Jones’ best chance of making the final 53 roster is his job as a special teamer. He has shown some improvement in that area, but there are many issues that still need work. Jones is the most likely of any on this list to make the final roster, but having a horrible game today would be the signal to sign his release papers.
Adam Butler (Defensive Tackle) - Possibly the biggest surprise to see on this list is Butler. The reason for why he is a major player is due to the lack of depth at defensive tackle. He has shown an ability to break through the defensive line and make a presence in the backfield, but long time players like Malcolm Brown and Alan Branch are the current starters at the position. The undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt has been quite the surprise and considering how much depth is still at the position, he could make spot if he shows something against the Giants tonight.
Jacoby Brissett (Quarterback) - While the team has traditionally carried two quarterbacks on the roster, Brissett was added onto the roster when he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Many have felt that Brissett despite being able to handle the quarterback position. He still has much to improve and with both veterans on the team at Quarterback, he is likely to be stashed onto injury reserve or be put onto practice squad once waivers are cleared.
Jacob Hollister (Tight End) - Hollister is an undrafted rookie free agent that has been on the hot spot for awhile now. His first preseason game where he had over 116 yards receiving had many thinking eh could be a third tight end behind Allen and Gronkowski. Even though Matt Lengal has been pushed to injury reserve, Hollister is now competing with James O’Shaughnessy for the final tight end spot. Without another strong showing with this final preseason game, he could very well be on the cutting block.
As of now, there is a lot of names that can be tossed around to make the final cuts but we can never be certain on everything, especially when it comes to Bill Belichick. The game will be starting tonight at 7:30 PM EST at Gillette Stadium.
