There is a certain finality to NFL Cutdown Day. As rosters are reduced from 90 to 53 players, it marks a key point in the transition from the offseason to the regular season. It also shatters the dreams of hundreds of players hoping to find a spot on a team.
And yet it’s not the be-all and end-all it seems to be. Yes, it shows the painful reality that some roster prospects are simply not considered good or valuable enough. But it’s also just a snapshot in an ever-evolving process: No NFL roster is ever final, and what may be true today may not be tomorrow.
So, of course, questions will still arise once the deadline for roster cuts passes. Some may look a little different because of those cuts, but others are just as important as ever.
For the New England Patriots, some important questions remain unanswered at this point.
Who will start as quarterback?
Probably the biggest question in New England right now: Will Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye be the team’s starting quarterback in the 2024 season? According to head coach Jerod Mayo, the rookie has “outperformed” the veteran recently, but that doesn’t automatically mean he’ll start as QB1 in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Unless the Patriots made a drastic decision—think of the 2021 release of Cam Newton—cutdown day would never have provided an answer to the starting quarterback question. However, it does seem to set the stage for what’s to come: Mayo said he plans to announce the winner of the QB competition to the team once the cutdowns are finalized.
What will the offensive line look like?
Throughout training camp, their offensive line looked like a potential Achilles heel for the Patriots. After 20 open practices and three preseason games, little has changed: The line remains inconsistent.
Aside from the center position, which is occupied by captain David Andrews, every other spot still appears to be open. The Patriots have taken some players out of the running by releasing players like Atonio Mafi or placing Calvin Anderson on the injured list, but those transactions have not provided any clarity on how many O-linemen would make the initial 53-man roster.
With waiver wire acquisitions or free agent signings looming, even that number – nine at the moment – is not set in stone. There are still many open questions that need to be answered.
Where is the room for maneuver?
Speaking of waiver wire pickups, Patriots top decision makers have repeatedly mentioned their club’s position on the waiver wire in recent media reports. The plan is to be aggressive, but whether it bears fruit remains to be seen.
The fact is, however, that the Patriots could have trimmed their roster beyond the 53-player limit in anticipation of potential signings (our final roster projection, for example, called for only 52 internal players), but that didn’t happen, leaving the question of who would go next if one or more players were added via waiver or free agency.
At first glance, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, tight end Jaheim Bell, offensive lineman Michael Jordan, defensive tackle Trysten Hill, cornerbacks Alex Austin and Marcellas Dial Jr., and safety Dell Pettus seem to be the hottest spots. It will be exciting to see what the future holds for them in the next 24 hours and more.
Who will replace Christian Barmore (and by when)?
The Patriots appear to be cautiously optimistic about Christian Barmore after he was diagnosed with blood clots. The starting defensive tackle was placed on the non-football injury/illness list but is expected to return: Once healthy, Barmore will be eligible to return to the 53-man roster this season.
Until that happens, however, New England will have to find a way to replace him. How they will do that is unclear, as the team has several candidates on board: Daniel Ekuale, Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Trysten Hill could all contribute and try to hold down the fort until Barmore returns either in 2024 or later.
Will one of them prove to be a 1:1 replacement (in role, not quality)? We don’t know yet.
Who will emerge as the core player of the special teams?
At the start of training camp, Jerod Mayo stressed the importance of his players fitting into more than just one box. Regarding the kicking game, he said: The days of core special teamers in the style of Matthew Slater appear to be over.
Still, someone has to step up in the third phase of the game. The only one who can do that in all four coverage or return units appears to be Brenden Schooler, with fellow defensive backs Isaiah Bolden and Dell Pettus and linebacker Christian Elliss also being strong candidates. However, based on the roster as it currently stands, it’s impossible to predict who else might or might not play a similar role in the third phase of the game in 2024.
