Patriots Football Weekly keeps you up to date with the Patriots roster, with analysis each time there is a change.
Roster total:Â 52
Offense:Â 25
Defense:Â 24
Specialists:Â 3
QUARTERBACK (2)*Last updated Sept. 2, 2013
*
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 12 | Tom Brady | 6-4 | 225 | 35 | 14 | Michigan |
| 15 | Ryan Mallett | 6-6 | 245 | 24 | 3 | Arkansas |
 | Positional Analysis: Though Brady turned 36 earlier this summer, he remains among the truly elite in the game. There were rumors of trade interest in Mallett this offseason but after an up-and-down preseason he remains Brady's primary backup as he enters his third year. |
RUNNING BACKÂ (5)
Last Updated Sept. 10, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 22 | Stevan Ridley | 5-11 | 220 | 24 | 3 | LSU |
| 38 | Brandon Bolden | 5-11 | 220 | 23 | 2 | Mississippi |
| 29 | LeGarrette Blount | 6-0 | 247 | 26 | 4 | Oregon |
| 46 | James Develin | 6-3 | 255 | 25 | 1 | Brown |
| 33 | Leon Washington | 5-8 | 192 | 31 | 8 | Florida State |
 | Positional Analysis: Ridley enters his third season after a 1,200-yard, 12-touchdown sophomore effort. Bolden is back after an up-and-down rookie year, and he'll likely battle trade addition and former 1,000-yard Bucs rusher Blount for playing time. Bolden is also battling an ankle injury and Blount has out-played him to this point. |
TIGHT ENDÂ (3)
Last Updated Oct. 9, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 87 | Rob Gronkowski | 6-6 | 265 | 24 | 4 | Arizona |
| 47 | Michael Hoomanawanui | 6-4 | 263 | 24 | 4 | Illinois |
| 88 | Matthew Mulligan | 6-4 | 267 | 28 | 5 | Maine |
 | Positional Analysis: Gronkowski returned to the practice field after battling an infection in his formerly broken left arm but is arguably the best in the game when healthy. Hoomanawanui was a versatile backup last fall. |
WIDE RECEIVERÂ (7)
Last Updated Oct. 9, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 80 | Danny Amendola | 5-11 | 188 | 27 | 5 | Texas Tech |
| 11 | Julian Edelman | 5-10 | 200 | 26 | 5 | Kent State |
| 17 | Aaron Dobson | 6-3 | 203 | 21 | R | Marshall |
| 82 | Josh Boyce | 5-11 | 203 | 22 | R | Texas Christian |
| 18 | Matthew Slater | 6-0 | 210 | 27 | 6 | UCLA |
| 85 | Kenbrell Thompkins | 6-0 | 196 | 24 | R | Cincinnati |
| 10 | Austin Collie | 6-0 | 204 | 27 | 5 | Brigham Young |
 | Positional Analysis: Amendola replaces Wes Welker as the expected top slot option and he has impressed. Thompkins has been the most consistent of the three rookies and should be the opening day starter on the outside. Dobson has been inconsistent but has excellent size and strong hands. Edelman has looked good since starting camp on PUP and provides insurance for Amendola. Boyce, who is the fastest of the bunch, has been a tad inconsistent catching the ball and hasn't had as many chances as the his fellow rookies, although he closed the preseason on a high note against the Giants. Slater's value is as a special teams performer. |
OFFENSIVE LINEÂ (8)
Last Updated Sept. 12, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 77 | Nate Solder | 6-8 | 320 | 25 | 3 | Colorado |
| 70 | Logan Mankins | 6-4 | 310 | 31 | 9 | Fresno State |
| 62 | Ryan Wendell | 6-2 | 300 | 27 | 5 | Fresno State |
| 63 | Dan Connolly | 6-4 | 310 | 30 | 8 | Southeast Missouri State |
| 76 | Sebastian Vollmer | 6-8 | 320 | 28 | 5 | Houston |
| 61 | Marcus Cannon | 6-5 | 340 | 25 | 3 | Texas Christian |
| 74 | Will Svitek | 6-6 | 308 | 31 | 8 | Stanford |
| 64 | Chris Barker | 6-2 | 310 | 23 | R | Nevada |
 | Positional Analysis: Dante Scarnecchia returns his entire starting offensive line from a year ago. Solder is settling in at left tackle next to the All-Pro Mankins. Vollmer re-signed to stay on the right side, while former developmental types Wendell and Connolly are solid on the inside, although Connolly has been slowed by offseason shoulder surgery. He just returned to action recently and is still working back into shape. Cannon is making the move to guard but he, too, had been hurt before playing some tackle in the preseason finale. Svitek has played both guard and tackle and been solid, although he's currently battling an injury as well. Waiver claim Barker will provide some insurance. |
DEFENSIVE LINEÂ (8)
Last Updated Oct. 22, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 50 | Rob Ninkovich | 6-2 | 260 | 29 | 8 | Purdue |
| 95 | Chandler Jones | 6-5 | 260 | 23 | 2 | Syracuse |
| 93 | Tommy Kelly | 6-6 | 325 | 32 | 10 | Mississippi State |
| 92 | Jake Bequette | 6-5 | 265 | 24 | 2 | Arkansas |
| 99 | Michael Buchanan | 6-6 | 250 | 22 | R | Illinois |
| 72 | Joe Vellano | 6-2 | 285 | 24 | R | Maryland |
| 94 | Chris Jones | 6-2 | 306 | 23 | R | Bowling Green |
| 98 | Marcus Forston | 6-3 | 305 | 24 | 1 | Miami |
 | Positional Analysis: Kelly brings experience and recent history as an interior pass rusher (7 sacks in both 2010 and 2011). Beyond him the ranks are thin on the inside. Ninkovich has turned his versatility into proven consistent production, while Jones will be looking for a huge Year Two jump after a relatively impressive rookie campaign. Bequette was a disappointment as essentially a healthy scratch as a third-round rookie last fall and seems to have been passed by rookie Michael Buchanan. |
LINEBACKER (6)
Last Updated Oct. 16, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 54 | Dont'a Hightower | 6-3 | 270 | 23 | 2 | Alabama |
| 55 | Brandon Spikes | 6-2 | 255 | 25 | 4 | Florida |
| 91 | Jamie Collins | 6-3 | 250 | 23 | R | Southern Mississippi |
| 52 | Dane Fletcher | 6-2 | 245 | 26 | 4 | Montana State |
| 58 | Steve Beauharnais | 6-2 | 230 | 23 | R | Rutgers |
| 59 | Chris White | 6-3 | 238 | 23 | 3 | Mississippi State |
 | Positional Analysis: Spikes is a force in the running game, but otherwise limited in the middle. Hightower has the potential unique skill set to be a force in a variety of ways on the outside. The team's top pick Collins has impressive athleticism and versatility in his own right and has been used in sub packages often. Fletcher returns from injury as a backup option, while Beauharnais is a heady, driven rookie looking to fill a similar role. White was claimed off wiavers from the Lions and likely will get a chance to prove his worth on special teams. |
DEFENSIVE BACKÂ (10)
Last Updated Sept. 2, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 31 | Aqib Talib | 6-1 | 205 | 27 | 6 | Kansas |
| 32 | Devin McCourty | 5-10 | 195 | 25 | 4 | Rutgers |
| 37 | Alfonzo Dennard | 5-10 | 200 | 23 | 2 | Nebraska |
| 23 | Marquice Cole | 5-10 | 195 | 29 | 5 | Northwestern |
| 28 | Steve Gregory | 5-11 | 200 | 30 | 8 | Syracuse |
| 27 | Tavon Wilson | 6-0 | 210 | 23 | 2 | Illinois |
| 25 | Kyle Arrington | 5-10 | 195 | 26 | 5 | Hofstra |
| 26 | Logan Ryan | 5-11 | 191 | 22 | R | Rutgers |
| 30 | Duron Harmon | 6-1 | 200 | 22 | R | Rutgers |
| 43 | Nate Ebner | 6-0 | 210 | 24 | 2 | Ohio State |
 | Positional Analysis: The re-signing of Talib this spring was huge, as the veteran was a key cog as a man-cover corner in his half season in New England last fall. He was been arguably the team's best player in camp. The captain McCourty now seems somewhat entrenched at safety, but there will be a battle for the job next to him. That will include Gregory, who was serviceable last fall. The rookie Harmon is coming on and has passed Wilson on the depth chart. Arrington was paid handsomely to be the top slot corner, although he could still be serviceable on the outside where Dennard had a solid rookie season. Dennard's health and legal status are also in question. Ryan has the solid skills to be a contributor both inside and outside as a rookie while Cole has shown promise in the slot as well. Ebner likely will remain as a special teams option. |
SPECIALISTS (3)
Last Updated Sept. 2, 2013
| # | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | College |
| 6 | Ryan Allen (P) | 6-2 | 215 | 23 | R | Louisiana Tech |
| 3 | Stephen Gostkowski (K) | 6-1 | 215 | 29 | 8 | Memphis |
| 48 | Danny Aiken (LS) | 6-4 | 260 | 24 | 3 | Virginia |
|
| Positional Analysis: Gostkowski struggled at times a year ago, but remains a strong-legged force on kickoffs. Aiken was a forgotten man for the most part, which is what a long snapper looks for. Allen showed a big leg this summer and took reps as the holder regularly en route to beating out the departed Zoltan Mesko. |
For even more analysis of the Patriots roster be sure to check out our weekly Patriots Roster Report podcast.
