Patriots News And Notes 08-30: The Depth Will Be An Issue

Good morning, and a happy Sunday to all. Here is your Patriots news and notes for 08-30, after the preseason is over and the initial roster cutdown begins. The initial 53-man roster will be announced later today.

This will in no way resemble the roster at the end of the season and will likely change substantially before the Week 1 game against Seattle. What is a substantial change? I believe that up to four waiver wire additions, and possibly even more, considering the injuries they’ve suffered, are in play.

The Initial Released Players so far, coupled with the trade brings the roster total down to 73.

TE C.J. Dippre
OL Darrian Dalcourt
WR Kyle Dixon
WR Cameron Dorner
CB Marcellas Dial Jr.
OT Lorenz Metz
LB Riley Wilson
EDGE Xavier Holmes
OL JonDarius Morgan
S Peter Manuma
S Eric Butler
WR Nick DeGennaro
OL Jacob Rizy
EDGE Amari Gainer
CB Brandon Crossley
EDGE Jesse Luketa

Quick Hitters For the Patriots and NFL News

Corey Kiner: The Patriots traded for the veteran running back from the Arizona Cardinals for a 2028 7th Round draft pick. Mike Reiss of ESPN reported that Kiner now projects as New England’s third running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. Kiner, 24, is a 5-foot-9, 209-pounder, was signed by Arizona to the 53-man roster from the Minnesota practice squad on Dec. 2 and played in the final four games for Arizona. He finished with 12 rushing attempts for 58 yards, 2 receptions for 15 yards and 1 kickoff return for 22 yards.

The move speaks volumes on how the team felt about their running back depth behind their starters. In a corresponding move, the team released RBs Hassan Haskins, and JaMycal Hasty.

Vrabel On Boutte: The Patriots’ head coach certainly didn’t mince words when it came to the trade of Kayshon Boutte. Although Boutte was the Patriots’ big play option during last season’s Super Bowl run, the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs had pushed Boutte far down the pecking order.

Vrabel, speaking after the Patriots got pantsed in Cleveland in their final preseason game, said that if the Patriots hadn’t traded Boutte, he likely wouldn’t have seen the field for them because of their overall depth.

“I think for all parties involved, that was probably the best thing,” Vrabel told reporters. “Without injuries, Kayshon probably would’ve been inactive, unfortunately. Just kind of the way it was with him not playing special teams.”

Vrabel did say he tried to thank Boutte “as many times as he could,” given the circumstances.

“His maturity, his growth, his ability to put into words last year and share his own personal struggle, but also the growth that he made from that. That’s positively going to affect a lot of people,” Vrabel added. “I know that wasn’t easy for him to do. I tell him all the time how much I respect him for being able to do that.”

Offensive Line: The Patriots’ starting unit had a very good summer, especially in pass protection during the joint practices with the Colts and Eagles. There was a lot of concern, and deservedly so, after the postseason, where Drake Maye was sacked 21 times.

But with Will Campbell healthy and stronger after a year in the system, the addition of Alijah Vera-Tucker at LG, moving Jared Wilson to his natural position at C, and the return of Mike Onwenu and Morgan Moses, the unit is set.

Moses was placed on his pitch count this summer, but 1st-round pick Caleb Lomu got plenty of work at both RT and LT. Vera Tucker, however, missed all of last season and has been slowly getting back up to speed.

Christian Gonzalez: While the ongoing negotiations between the team and the Patriots’ star corner haven’t quite reached a contentious stage, it seems to be trending in that direction.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter had an ominous update on the talks between the two parties on an appearance on the Pat McAfee podcast.

“I don’t think that Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots have been close to a new deal. They don’t appear to be wanting to give him Devon Witherspoon-type money. I think there’s probably one more push by both sides to try and get a deal done before the season starts.”

With negotiations stalled, Schefter openly discussed the possibility of the team trading Gonzalez.

“But if they can’t get something done, that just makes me wonder, like, where is it going in the future? What happens then? Do they wait till after the season? Can they do anything then?

“Would they even be willing to listen to potential trades for him after the year? Like, is that a possibility down the line? I think it opens up a whole range of options if they don’t have this deal done at the start of the season or a couple of weeks into the season.”

That would be a disastrous turn of events for the team. Under Vrabel/Wolf, the Patriots announced that they are a draft-and-develop team. In Gonzalez, they drafted one of the league’s top cornerbacks. Then when it comes time to pay him, trading him would send a horrible message to the team.

Gonzalez has expressed frustration at how long this contract negotiation has taken. Especially with the team (Robert Kraft and Wolf) trying to conduct negotiations through the media.

“We want him here. He’s an elite player,” Wolf said. “I’ve been on record saying that before, and we’re continuing to work with his representation to find a resolution that works for everyone.”

“It’s frustrating, but I’m focused on the season. I’m focused on here now,” he said after practice Tuesday.

“There’s certain things that go into a contract, but my team knows what we want, so it kind of depends on how you put it.”

Patriots No Huddle Podcast: Derek and I were back on Thursday to talk about the Patriots’ second preseason game, the Boutte trade, and other news on PatsFans.com. Mike D’Abate and I discussed the Browns game and the roster cutdown yesterday.

You can always check out our other podcasts on our YouTube channel.

Please check it out. And be sure to like, share, and leave us a review.

Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriots tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots’ team Hall of Fame, and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty. Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position.

We will continue to display this in our Sunday posts until it happens. Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s, yet he isn’t even in the team’s HOF.

Mike Vrabel Wasn’t Blowing Smoke, The Depth Is Lacking

After a stunning 2025 turnaround that saw Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye lead New England to a division title and a run to the Super Bowl, expectations in Foxborough have shifted from rebuilding to contending.

The Patriots enter 2026 with a genuinely talented top-end roster, but as training camp and the preseason have made clear, that talent doesn’t run very deep. Vrabel himself publicly called out the team’s depth after the preseason finale against the Eagles, and the concern is widely shared across the building.

The good news is that New England’s starting lineup looks formidable in most spots. A.J. Brown has given Maye a true No. 1 receiver, the cornerback trio of Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones ranks among the league’s best, and the defensive tackle tandem of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore anchors the interior front.

The problem shows up the moment the backups get called upon, and for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, that’s not a small problem.

Where the Roster Is Thinnest

Edge rusher/outside linebacker is the most glaring hole. With Harold Landry probably entering the season on the physically unable to perform list and 2026 second-round pick Gabe Jacas looking like a guy who missed all of the spring workouts, the Patriots will be forced to lean on Dre’Mont Jones and second-year player Elijah Ponder as starters.

Jacas has been victimized several times during the preseason, getting caught overcommitting inside and not setting the edge against QB bootlegs. He needs to develop pass-rush moves beyond the bull rush. Those have been mostly ineffective against backups; now he’ll face starters moving forward.

Beyond that duo, the cupboard is pretty bare, and many beat writers have floated the idea that New England could carry as few as three healthy outside linebackers to open the season, an extreme and risky approach.

With Landry likely landing on PUP, it may open the door for Quintayvious Hutchis or Bradyn Swinson to make the 53-man roster today, or it could mean a waiver wire pickup or trade is coming. Hutchins has STs ability.

The Patriots’ pressure packages looked very effective this summer, but they probably don’t want to rely on those solely for QB pressure. This team doesn’t look like it will generate a lot of sacks.

Interior offensive line depth is similarly shaky. Mike Onwenu, Jared Wilson and Alijah Vera-Tucker give the team a solid starting trio, but behind them, the competition for a fifth interior spot has been described as wide open. With Ben Brown and Marcus Bryant injured, the team opted to bring in veteran C/G Greg Van Roten.

If Vera-Tucker’s injury history resurfaces or Wilson struggles as a first-year starter, the Patriots may struggle.

At tackle, Caleb Lomu has potential but is still finding his feet as a swing tackle. Demetrious Crownover has intriguing size, but he plays too upright, and that has cost him this summer. Hopefully, Bryant’s injury isn’t a long-term one.

The linebacker corps behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss is another soft spot. Chad Muma looked like the favorite for the third linebacker job early in camp but has regressed since the preseason opener, missing tackles and taking poor pursuit angles. K.J. Britt had an up-and-down summer.

Rookies Namdi Obiazor and Khalil Jacobs are still developmental players.

Elliss has also battled minor injuries, raising the stakes on a group that lacks a clear answer beyond the top two. Suffice it to say that of the guys they brought in this year, I’m not seeing one who is a clear upgrade over Jack Gibbens, and what he could bring to the table.

Cornerback depth, specifically the No. 4 spot, remains an unresolved issue carried over from a year ago. Kindle Vildor and rookie fifth-round pick Karon Prunty have emerged as the likely backups behind the starting trio, but neither has inspired the faith that, if anything were to happen to the starting three, the defense could rely on them.

With the Patriots using Zak Kuhr’s pressure packages, it is imperative that the corners maintain solid coverage. With Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, and Marcus Jones, they have exactly that. It gets tricky beyond them.

Running Back is another area where no one has truly stood out to take the #3 running back role behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. The trade for Corey Hiner, while far from a blockbuster trade, hammers that point home.

They shouldn’t have an issue getting any of Lan Larison, Jam Miller, and/or Hassan Haskins through waivers and onto the practice squad. This way, they could elevate one each week until they settle on one to move forward with. Again, did they adequately replace Antonio Gibson and his kickoff return ability? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Safety is set with two excellent starters in Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson, who really came on down the stretch last season. Dell Pettus, John Saunders Jr., and Mike Brown have been competing for the top backup role. Top ST’s ace and backup safety Brenden Schooler will probably start the season on NFI.

However, the trade of Kayshon Boutte resulted in the Patriots getting Jaylen Reed. His arrival speaks to the team’s seeming dissatisfaction with that group. Reed projects as a third box safety role and to play as a nickel or dime linebacker.

The Bottom Line

New England’s ceiling is legitimately high, built on star power at quarterback, receiver, corner, and along the defensive interior. But contending teams can get exposed by injuries, and this roster’s margin for error at edge rusher, interior line, linebacker, and cornerback depth is razor thin.

How general manager Eliot Wolf and the coaching staff address these gaps, through late cuts around the league, practice squad elevations, or in-season trades, may determine whether 2026 becomes a genuine championship run or a promising season undone by attrition.

Regardless, we’re on to Seattle…

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“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike Vrabel

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About Steve Balestrieri

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)

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