The Patriots closed out their preseason with a closing-second loss to the Giants and now prepare to trim their roster to 53 players by 4pm Saturday and fill out their 10-man practice squad by 1pm on Sunday. All things considered, it was a good summer for the team, as they avoided any critical injuries and seem to have uncovered some young gems that should contribute this season. Yes, the excitement for the regular season opener which is just 9 days away is palpable!
Jim McBride of the Boston Globe breaks down the hard decisions that will have to be made this weekend to get the roster from 90 to 53, with a focus on the pro personnel department and the work that they'll do with players who are cut around the league and could help the Patriots.
Hayden Bird of the Boston Globe gives us an introduction to new offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemanor. Acquired from Baltimore, Eluemanor figures to step right into an interior backup role with the team.
Tom Keegan of the Boston Herald has an in-depth breakdown of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia and how he's still on top of his game and ready to put together another year of quality protection for Tom Brady.
Ian Rapoport eases all our minds that Julian Edelman did not re-injure his thumb last night:
Old friend Andy Hart and his WEEI cohort Ryan Hannable put together their 53-man roster projection.
NBCSports' Phil Perry likes what he sees out of the Patriots offense with Josh Gordon and Demaryius Thomas in the mix.
Boston Sports info gives us the preseason records of the Patriots over the last 20 seasons:
Nick Goss of NBCSports focuses on the player of last night's game, Gunner Olszewski, who won over the hearts (and some minds) with a gutsy and versatile performance.
