Saturday was the deadline for the New England Patriots initial roster cuts for the upcoming 2018 season Saturday, and the lists of cuts and saves include several head-scratching decisions.
New England Patriots Make Initial 2018 Roster Cuts
Notable Cuts
Running back Ralph Webb, linebacker Marquis Flowers, defensive end Eric Lee, defensive tackle Vincent Valentine, defensive back Cyrus Jones, running back Mike Gillislee, quarterback Danny Etling, offensive lineman Jason King, offensive lineman Matt Tobin, wide receiver Devin Lucien, linebacker Harvey Langi, running back Brandon Bolden, wide receiver Riley McCarron
Some of these cuts were expected. Webb and Gillislee both failed to prove themselves worthy on remaining on a Patriots roster loaded with talent at running back. Gillislee, in particular, seemed to be a doubtful bubble player when he appeared as a healthy scratch for the majority of the second half of the 2017 season. Jeremy Hill will fill Gillislee’s primary role as the “big back” for the Patriots this season.
Lee was signed to the Patriots from the Buffalo Bills practice squad last season when injuries decimated the defense. Now, with Deatrich Wise Jr., Derek Rivers, and Adrian Clayborn in the mix, Lee was expected to fall by the wayside.
Jones was playing for his livelihood this preseason, and it’s clear that he continued to disappoint the coaching staff’s second-round expectations for him. His contributions on special teams will not be missed.
Flowers and Valentine both come as shocks to appear on the “cut” list. Flowers performed remarkably when forced into action during the 2017 season, gathering 3.5 sacks and 23 tackles in only two games started. He was assumed to be a practical lock over Nicholas Grigsby and Elandon Roberts to provide depth at linebacker.
Valentine, a former third-round draft pick for the Patriots, saw some success as a rookie but was hampered significantly by a knee injury in 2017.
Etling was not expected to make the final roster, despite his 86-yard touchdown run against the Giants in the preseason finale. The Patriots will stick with Brian Hoyer as the sole backup for the reigning NFL MVP.
Lucien had been brought in to compete for a spot on the shallow wide receivers depth chart, but his departure was inevitable. In addition to Lucien, the Patriots also released defensive tackle Frank Herron, wide receiver Paul Turner, defensive back Ryan Lewis, and running back Khalfani Muhammad on Friday.
Bolden and McCarron are both surprises to see on the list of cuts. Bolden, on the roster as a running back, was expected to make the team as a special teams player. He has served as one of the better gunners on the team opposite Matt Slater and made some waves on offense for the Patriots in the preseason as a running back. He was signed to a contract extension in February. McCarron, one of few remaining receivers, also was expected to make an impact on special teams.
Other cuts include wide receiver K.J. Maye, defensive back A.J. Moore, punter Corey Bojorquez, defensive back Jomal Wiltz, safety Damarius Travis, and defensive tackle John Atkins.
Injured Reserve Designations
Braxton Berrios, Ryan Izzo, Ulrick John
Berrios may have been an immediate starter for the Patriots this season as a rookie, given the team’s egregious lack of depth at wide receiver. Unfortunately for Tom Brady, the young wideout out of Miami will have to wait a little bit longer to make his debut.
Izzo, a seventh-round pick to provide some depth at tight end behind Rob Gronkowski, Jacob Hollister, and Dwayne Allen, is a shock to see on the Injured Reserve list. With decent talent already on the depth chart, Izzo was expected to be more of a camp body than anything after the 2018 NFL Draft. An IR designation hints that there may be more to the tight end than previously expected.
John was injured in the Patriots preseason finale against the New York Giants. It was determined to be a foot injury that hobbled John. He was the most likely candidate to make the team to provide extra depth at tackle after Isaiah Wynn suffered a torn Achilles earlier in the preseason.
All Quiet on the East Coast
After the dust settled on Saturday, several players were left undiscussed and off the cutting room floor.
Jason McCourty played in the Patriots final preseason game at safety, a bad sign for the former Cleveland Browns cornerback. However, the absence of his name in the news today bodes well for him. Undrafted rookie free agent J.C. Jackson and seventh-round pick Keion Crossen have both also reportedly made the team as defensive backs.
Keionta Davis, who shone during the preseason in the defensive front, has made the team, according to NESN’s Doug Kyed.
Ted Karras, the Patriots Swiss Army knife of a backup offensive lineman, also reportedly made the roster, according to The Providence Journal’s Mark Daniels.
