mgteich

In 2-weeks, it will be Labor Day, Sept 4th. All teams will have cut down to 53 on Saturday, picked up players from other teams on Sunday morning and established a Practice Squad by the end of Sunday. The league office will be closed on Monday, Sept 4th, so no transactions that day.
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Should I feel anxious that there are still many, many open questions?

1) Will Branch report?
2) Will Jackson start practicing? When will he start playing?
3) Will we complete any trades?
4) Who will we pick up off the waiver wire (scrap heap)?
5) Will Kaycur stay on the PUP?
6) Will Harrison play?
7) Will Beisel make the team, IR or be cut?
8) Will Chad Brown make the team, IR or be cut?

These are all in addition to the normal "who will make the 53" and "who be the starter" type questions.
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pats1

My predictions for the first cut down to 75, which is a week from tomorrow:

All NFLE exemptions expire, and so I'm assuming the bonus exemption expires too.

The Pats currently have 79 players counting against the limit, but 89 will count for next Tuesday.

That means they'll have to make 14 cuts.

My predictions:

NFLE WR Zuriel Smith, RB Earl Charles, and S Ray Ventrone placed on Reserve/NFLE injury list. (-3)

TE Chris Luzar released (-1)

DL Eddie Freeman released (-1)

OL Brian Barthelmes released (-1)

OL Randy Hand released (-1)

WR Erik Davis released (-1)

LS Jon Condo released (-1)

QB Todd Mortensen released (-1)

CB Antwain Spann released (-1)

CB Vernell Brown released (-1)

OL Nick Steitz released (-1)

WR Keron Henry released (-1)


There's always room for surprise cuts, too. Last year it was Rohan, Cobbs, and Reid.

This year, Klecko, Sullivan, or even Gramatica could get the axe.

dryheat44

I don't think any of those players being cut would be a surprise. The only one last year that was a remote surprise was Reid.

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When it's third and 10, you can have the milk drinkers and I'll take the whiskey drinkers every time. -- R.I.P. Max McGee

pats1

By a surprise, I mean they're not UDFAs or street FAs. All 3 were draft picks.

mgteich

It is really not hard at all to get down to 75 before the last preseason game. Getting down another 22 in less than a week is much harder, especially considering that most bubble players will likely get little playing time in the last preseason game.

AllabouttheVinces

You are right about the easy cut to 75, but I disagree on the last pre-season game. I look for all the bubble players to get a ton of time in that game. With only a week to go before the games count, the starters will play little the last pre-season game. The bubble guys will get one last shot.

Unless BB wants to do someone a favor, and give a player a chance to catch on elsewhere, none of the first cuts will get picked up. The tough cuts are the last ones.

Crowpointer

I like the list. Do think he might cut a Klecko early to give him a better chance to hook on with another team rather then the final 53? None of the guys you listed even looks like Practice squad material. They are probably OTB (outta the Biz) when they are cut anyway so you keep one or two around for camp fodder until the final 53 cut.

p8ryts

historically, if they don't play much in game 3, they don't make the team.

pats1

Condo and Mortensen released.

I'm 2 for 2!

flutie2phelan

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