Good morning. Here is your Patriots news, 8-31, and NFL notes this week. The Patriots have made their initial 53-man roster, and it’s already been changing. We’ll provide thoughts on that below.
But first, the surprising cut of safety Jabrill Peppers, who has been running with the starters all summer, was a surprise.
With Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson getting a lot of reps with the starters at the end of camp and the preseason, it definitely raised some eyebrows when Peppers started the final preseason game against the Giants. However, head coach Mike Vrabel said he wanted to see some tape of Peppers and Woodson playing together.
It now seems that Hawkins surpassed Peppers, and the team felt good enough with Kyle Dugger, Dell Petus, and Woodson on the depth chart. It is just that the timing of this seems …off.
It just seems that they could have possibly gotten some kind of trade compensation for such an experienced veteran as Peppers. Perhaps they did try to move him, but couldn’t find a deal. We may learn about that later.
While not a perfect fit for Vrabel and Terrell Williams’ style of defense, Peppers is a good to a very good NFL player on a team in rebuilding mode. Time will tell if the decision was a wise one.
Peppers turns 30 this season and is a box safety and dime linebacker. The ascension this summer of Alex Austin, who can play outside cornerback as well as play a big slot role, is the younger answer to the question of why they released Peppers.
The team will miss Peppers’ valuable veteran presence on and off the field. He won’t be unemployed for long.
Nor’easter Uniforms Should Get Tossed In The Next Storm:
Sorry, I’ll apologize now to the folks who love everything the team does, but these uniforms are straight shite.
What is it, “weathered deep Storm Blue,” ah no. This looks like a washed out Colts uniform, with a Flying Elvis “Moody Blue” helmet sticker? Look, I am a huge fan of Elvis (saw him twice), but the logo has served its purpose, it’s time to go back to the Pat The Patriot logo.
They will wear these in Week 11 against the Jets in Foxborough. The 1985 uniform was the best they ever had, but they keep tinkering with uniforms, those 1990s Bledsoe era unis were terrible, but the color rush monstrosity was totally devoid of style…now this? UGH, make it stop.
Quick Hitters For the Patriots and NFL News:
**Javon Baker:**Baker, a fourth-round draft pick (110th overall) wide receiver in 2024, was released by the Patriots and was offered a place on the practice squad to remain in New England. But he spurned that offer to join the practice squad of the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.
While he may have a hard time cracking a lineup with Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown, maybe a change in scenery will be what the doctor ordered. Going to the SB Champs is a way to get noticed if he works his way onto the field this year.
**Micah Parsons Trade:**The big trade of Parsons from Dallas to Green Bay set the NFL world on fire this week. And many Patriots fans wonder why the team didn’t go after Parsons. Which is a fair question, we’ll get to that in a minute.
On the surface, the Packers win the trade because they immediately made their team much better right now. I’m not sure if Green Bay is a Super Bowl team, but they must feel they are on the cusp and just needed that one great player (Parsons is great), to put them over the top. Now they have him.
Dallas (Jerry Jones) thought they had a deal done earlier this spring, but it fell apart and now they are missing arguably their best player. It is how they handle the next two drafts which will ultimately be the barometer if they made the right call. If they draft well, with four first round picks in the next two years, they could load their team up.
And Kenny Clark is no slouch. He’s the overlooked part of the trade. Dallas needs to improve their run stopping this year, and getting a three-time Pro Bowler will definitely help. Clark is a defensive tackle with 35 sacks since becoming a full-time starter in 2017. He’ll fit well with the attacking front Dallas plans to run this season.
Will Green Bay be a Super Bowl contender this year? They were a good, above-average team before the trade. Obviously, much better now. Super Bowl? I don’t think so… but the NFC North will be much more fun this year. Detroit, Minnesota, and Green Bay will be fun to watch in 2025.
**Tommy DeVito:**The new Patriots’ QB on the practice squad was a fan favorite in New York and knew he was auditioning for a role with the Patriots during the final preseason game last week.
“I had a feeling, I was hoping,” DeVito said. “Every time you go on the field, you perform for 31 others. Especially when you have some feelings about something, so that last one was, ‘Listen, everything is an audition, but this one is a personal audition. So, I want to make it count.’ We did, and here we are.”
“It was something I had a feeling was going to happen, something I was hoping was going to happen, especially with where they were ranked in the claims order,” DeVito said. “I was very excited to get here. I’ve had a lot of prior coaches who have been part of this organization before, know a lot of coaches and people in the business, so I had a lot of good insight.”
“I came from a really great organization with the Giants. Obviously, know the history of the Giants and the Patriots,” DeVito said. “Just those two organizations as a whole are superior to the rest, if you will. So, the Patriots, shoot, Super Bowls, Tom Brady. For me, I want to be able to experience it, embrace it, and really live it and be here.” He will fit right in Foxborough.
Patriots No Huddle Podcast: Derek, Mike, and I discussed the roster cuts to get to the 53-man roster limit. You can find our podcasts on YouTube,Apple, orSpotify. Please take a look and leave us a review.
Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot 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.
This will be displayed 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.
Breaking Down The Patriots’ 53-Man Roster:
The Patriots have finalized their initial 53-man roster, and it has already undergone changes. We all knew that they were not going to keep eight WRs; however, a couple of moves have been surprising. Letting Jabrill Peppers go after making the initial roster was surprising.
However, here are some thoughts on the current roster and its players. We’ll go by position.
Quarterbacks: Drake Maye didn’t have a Wow type of summer, but from here, he looks like he’s ready to take that next big step in Year 2. Josh Dobbs is a well-traveled veteran backup who will provide the sideline set of eyes that will help him when he comes to the sideline.
That being said, I loved the signing of Tommy DeVito, and in the preseason finale, I said he’d be joining the Patriots’ practice squad. He may even take over the backup role this season if he can learn McDaniels’ offense well enough. He has the athletic tools to do so. Plus, how great will it be to see Sean Stellato around Gillette this year? Cutlets all around.
**Running Backs:**TreVeyon Henderson is arguably (IMO) the most dynamic skill position player on the team, Day 1. Not only will he produce, but he could be the starter much earlier than people realize. Rhamondre Stevenson didn’t have a great summer. Ball security issues were once again a problem.
Antonio Gibson was the Patriots’ best back down the stretch last year, and although the spotlight has been shining on Henderson (rightfully so), he’s had a very solid summer. The backs will feast in McDaniels’ passing game. Look for that in Week 1 against Pete Carroll’s Raiders.
Wide Receivers: And then there were six. The team kept Stefon Diggs in bubble wrap this summer. Incredibly, he’s looked so good, so early after tearing an ACL in October. But they’ll need his veteran savvy this season to keep the chains moving and getting some chunk yardage.
Demario Douglas should be a huge factor from the slot in Josh McDaniels’ offense. Ditto for Efton Chism III. This kid earned his way to the roster, and while not the biggest dude out there, he has excellent play strength. And he has a knack for getting open. Notice how McDaniels’ name keeps getting mentioned? Because he was probably the most significant addition this year after the head coach.Coaching matters.
I loved the signing of Mack Hollins this spring. Besides the persona, he is a valuable big red zone target (ask Josh Allen), who can box out defenders and contribute on STs. Kayshon Boutte was the subject of trade talk all offseason, but he’s here and should be a valuable contributor.
Kyle Williams was getting a comfort level in the offense when he was injured. But he’ll provide some deep threat possibilities for the offense. He, too, has a knack for getting separation quickly, which will come in handy.
Tight Ends: Hunter Henry was Drake Maye’s security blanket last year. He’s back and will provide that and more this year with improved receivers around him. Austin Hooper is back and had a good season in 2024. He and Henry combine for a very good 1-2 combination. He’ll see plenty of snaps.
Jack Westover made the team because he found a role as a fullback. He didn’t excel as a receiver however, so perhaps the Patriots look for a tight end on the waiver wire. It was a little surprising the Patriots didn’t target NY Giants TE Greg Dulcich, who had a great preseason.
**Offensive Line:**The Patriots invested the #4 overall pick on Will Campbell, and he’s been the starting left tackle from jump street. He is a road grader in the running game and plays with a mean streak. He’s still adjusting to the pass protection game in the NFL, but he’s going to be fine.
Jared Wilson is an excellent athletic lineman, the only question now is, whether he is a center or a guard? Garrett Bradbury seems like the starting center right now. Mike Onwenu had a solid summer and is entrenched at right guard.
The Patriots managed Morgan Moses’ snaps this summer, trying to save him for the season. He’s a solid veteran at right tackle. Marcus Bryant went from a seventh-round pick to the top option at swing tackle. He had a very impressive summer.
I was a bit surprised to see Vederian Lowe standing after the smoke cleared this preseason. He, Ben Brown, and Caedan Wallace are the backups.
Defensive Line: The signing of Milton Williams was the big swing at the fences for the Patriots this offseason. He has come as advertised. Christian Barmore is healthy this summer, yes the Patriots moderated his workload a bit. But he and Williams should be outstanding pocket pushers in 2025.
Khyiris Tonga was a depth signing as a big run stuffer. He had a good camp and seems like a great fit for Vrabel’s defense. The lights came on for Joshua Farmer at the end of the preseason and the rookie earned his spot on the roster. Ditto for Jeremiah Pharms. He may not be ironclad safe for the long term, but he earned his spot for the time being.
Edge Rushers: Harold Landry was brought in as the top dawg, and he’s been terrific this summer. Vrabel has to be pleased to have him back. Keion White, on the other hand, was penciled in as the starter this spring, as big things were expected in the Vrabel/Williams defense. But his playing time has been cut.
K’Lavon Chiasson was a former first-round bust in Jacksonville, but came on at the end of last season for the Raiders. He had a very impressive summer and has leapfrogged White as a starter.
The coaches love what they have seen from Elijah Ponder; he may be just scratching the surface of his potential. Have you heard? Anfernee Jennings isn’t a fit for this defense (ad nauseam), but he’s too good of a football player to leave off the roster…for now. He’ll still have a place, maybe not as a starter.
Linebackers: My favorite signing this spring was Robert Spillane. He is a perfect fit for the Vrabel/Williams defense—an athletic linebacker who is as tough as reinforced woodpecker lips and is always in the right spot. Christian Ellis came on last year and has now reaped a new deal as a starter.
Jack Gibbens is another great fit for this defense and a core special teams player. Marte Mapu made the team after the team finally decided that he was a linebacker in time for training camp. I always thought he was a better fit as an LB than at safety. Let’s see if he can progress now.
Cornerbacks: Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis are a great 1-2 tandem at the boundary in 2025. However, both have been sidelined for much of camp. Both should be ready for Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gonzo is the technician, and Davis is the physical presence, similar to what the Patriots had in 2014 with Revis and Browner. Davis was a terrific signing. Alex Austin had a fantastic summer, playing boundary corner with Gonzo out, but he can also play the big slot for Marcus Jones against bigger WRs.
D.J. James was the biggest surprise this summer. He is always around the ball. Marcus Jones returns as the slot corner, but is incredibly valuable as a punt returner, so he may not see full-time defensive duties.
Safeties: Minus the surprise of the release of Jabrill Peppers, his role seems to have fallen to Jaylinn Hawkins, who is cut from the same cloth. Hawkins had a terrific summer and is a physical thumper who has grasped Vrabel’s system extremely well.
Craig Woodson is a fourth-round rookie who should see starter reps in 2025. The coaches love his versatility and smarts. Dell Pettus made the roster after Marcus Epps was released.
Kyle Dugger, who was being shopped around at the roster deadline, has been retained for now. However, he did play much better in the final two weeks of the preseason and is now finally healthy.
**Special Teams:**Brandon Schooler is an outstanding STs player who had a defensive package tailor-made for him at safety in 2024. The Patriots drafted Andres Borregales in the sixth round and is their kicker heading into 2025.
Bryce Barringer has an incredible leg, and routinely puts punts into the Logan Airport flight path. Now he just needs to be more consistent. Julian Ashby is the rookie longsnapper who they drafted. He had some hiccups this summer.
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“We were laughing the other day when it was 53 players and five guys on the practice squad, and we actually practiced and functioned, and now we have – probably, we’ll have 70, and we’ll be wondering how we can practice with that many players.
“So, what it’s given you, it’s given you a good blend of having some veterans that may be able to go in right away and be elevated. It also gives you an opportunity to develop some younger players, which you’ll see when that list comes out.
“So, you’ll be able to kind of recognize both of those who may need some more time and want to invest some more time into them, or a veteran that’s played in this League and would be ready to go if we needed to elevate them.”
MikeVrabel, answering a question about the size of the practice squad and his feelings toward it and about how valuable it has become.
“Well, I mean, I think that you have to – again, you have to prepare. Each player prepares differently for that game and how you – what your emotion level is going into that game and how it starts, and I think that there’s always something to be said for getting into a rhythm.
“I mean, we can’t throw a bunch of 2-yard routes to start the game, but I think that it’s just getting into a rhythm and a flow and the warm-up. How guys warm up, some guys go and warm up a few hours before the game, come back in, settle down.
“Some guys kind of just roll on out there, but it’s all about finding your own individual routine that will allow each and every one of them to perform at a high level when we start the game. We can’t wait until the second quarter to feel comfortable.”
Vrabel, on if he helps Drake Maye with strategy before a game.
“I don’t know who you’re referring to, I guess, specifically.Yeah, that’s news to me. I mean, I think that we just, again, try to put the roster together. I guess when it when it doesn’t work out, you break up with somebody, your girlfriend doesn’t want to be with you, and then you say, “Well, I don’t want to be with you either.” I’m not going to get into all that. “
Vrabel, after being asked about Kendrick Bourne and Marcus Epps asking for their individual releases.
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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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Tags: 53 Man Roster Projection Drake Maye Harold Landry Jabrill Peppers Kyle Dugger Mike Vrabel New England Patriots Patriots edge rushers Tommy DeVito TreVeyon Henderson
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