Defense (25)
Defensive Line (9) – Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga, Malcom Brown, Jabaal Sheard, Alan Branch, Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom
Brown and Easley have been coming on and playing strong lately. The top three defensive ends Jones, Ninkovich and Sheard are locks. Grissom and Flowers have been very good this summer and will make the team and get their feet wet during the season. Flowers is out right now with a concussion.
Antonio Johnson and Rufus Johnson have been good this summer but are hurt, this opens the door for Branch, healthy now and playing more. The next two preseason games may see more movement at the position.
Out: Zach Moore, Chris Jones, Joe Vellano, Antonio Johnson, A.J. Pataiali’l, Rufus Johnson, Casey Walker
Linebacker (6) – Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, James Morris, Jonathan Freeny, Eric Martin
The top three, Mayo, Collins and Hightower are locks. Mayo and Hightower now seem healthy and are being held out for precautionary reasons. Freeny has had a good summer and is strong against the run as well as on STs. Morris is a smart, instinctive ILB who makes plays.
Martin was having a very good summer before going down with an injury. Depending upon if he can get back or Fletcher comes off of PUP will go a long way in determining that final slot.
Out: Dekoda Watson, Xzavier Dickson, Darius Fleming, Dane Fletcher, Cameron Gordon
Cornerback (5) – Tarel Brown, Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, Robert McClain, Darryl Roberts
Butler is locked into the left cornerback position; who plays the right is a big question right now. Brown seems to be the logical choice; he’s been the most consistent of the other corners thus far. But the team has been trying to limit his snaps in preseason as he recovers from a 2014 foot injury. Ryan hasn’t had a good summer and his play in the preseason games has been very up and down.He and Fletcher have fallen down the depth chart.
Roberts is an intriguing rookie who got the start against the Packers and played well before being hurt. His injury status will bear watching during the next two weeks.
Out: Bradley Fletcher, Daxton Swanson, Jimmy Jean
Safety (5) – Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Patrick Chung, Jordan Richards, Tavon Wilson
No changes here. McCourty, Chung, Harmon and Richards are all locks here. DMac was playing some corner in the past week and he may at times do the same during the season, much like 2014 but he’ll remain at safety.
So the final slot will come down to Ebner, Wilson and King. Wilson has been more impressive than Ebner so he gets the nod unless they decide to keep six and cut a player from somewhere else.
King is a good candidate for the practice squad and has been getting a lot of special teams work in, especially one on one with coach Joe Judge.
Out: Nate Ebner, Brandon King
Next Special Teams…
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A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
