The gears must already be turning in the mind of New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo ahead of Sunday’s preseason finale against the Washington Commanders.
This will be the last exhibition game before next Tuesday’s 53-man roster cut deadline. Most notably, this will be the last chance for roster bubble players to win one of the remaining roster spots.
The number of spots left depends on the number of locks Mayo and the rest of the coaching staff believe are currently on the roster. It’s always a tricky situation with a new head coach and regime coming in and building the team they want while also using some of the same parts from the previous regime.
This isn’t a complete rebuild for the Patriots, but make no mistake, they are rebuilding. Here are 31 locks that should make the roster ahead of the cutdown deadline and preseason finale:
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Jacoby Brissett has a leg-up on rookie Drake Maye in the starting quarterback competition. There’s no way he isn’t making the team.
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Drake Maye might not be the present, but he’s clearly the future at quarterback for the Patriots. The clock is ticking for “Maye Day” in New England.
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Rhamondre Stevenson signed a four-year contract extension to remain the Patriots’ leading rusher. He’ll continue to be the workhorse playmaker in the offensive backfield.
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Antonio Gibson’s receiving role in the backfield is a unique skill set that should make him a roster lock. He can play the James White role for the Patriots.
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The Patriots spent a second-round draft pick on Ja’Lynn Polk. So they’re invested in this relationship working. Polk has lived up to expectations so far.
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DeMario Douglas is the best receiver on the Patriots’ roster. By the end of the season, he should be the favorite to lead the team in both receiving yards and targets.
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Tyquan Thornton has been positioned as the Patriots’ best X option at receiver. He’s been taking reps with the starting wideouts, which is a big giveaway for how the team views him.
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Javon Baker has…
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