Bill Belichick’s vision for the New England Patriots is coming together with his initial 53-man roster, which took shape on Saturday over the holiday weekend. The Patriots made some unexpected decisions among trading, cutting and keeping players. Here’s a look at the most shocking moves for the Patriots at the 53-man roster deadline.
Cuts
Demaryius Thomas, WR: He’s now back with the Patriots — and he got a raise. The team seemed to make a pact with Thomas: New England would release him so that it could put rookie receiver N’Keal Harry on short-term injured reserve. Then once that transaction processed, the Patriots would bring back Thomas. That’s how it played out.
Brian Hoyer, QB: Did we see it coming? Absolutely. But the truth is that Jarrett Stidham was unlikely to unseat Hoyer when the team drafted him in the fourth round in April. Over the last few weeks, Stidham’s stock has soared to unexpected heights. He looks far more ready than he seemed as a prospect at Auburn. The other surprise is that the Patriots didn’t trade Hoyer, who had a handful of interested teams in free agency. “I think there’s a lot of things involved with that situation,” Belichick said Tuesday on a conference call. “That’d be a longer conversation. We did what we did. We’ll stand by that.” So on a few levels, this move felt odd.
TRADE: Keion Crossen, CB: Crossen finished off a strong preseason and training camp with a 12-tackle, one-interception and five-deflection game against the New York Giants. Still, the Patriots opted to send him to Houston for a late-round draft choice in order to keep utility man Gunner Olszewski (and we’ll get to him). But of course, this isn’t technically a cut, so we didn’t count it as such. Still, it was worth a mention.
Keeps
Obi Melifonwu, S: His presence on the roster came as the biggest surprise. I, for one, didn’t put him on many of my 53-man roster projections. His skill set seemed redundant with rookie cornerback Joejuan Williams’. But apparently, Melifonwu’s special teams contributions and defensive improvements were enough for him to earn a roster spot in his second year. “Obi has a lot of skill and as he’s gained more understanding of our defense, he has the physical ability to be a versatile player but last year that didn’t manifest itself because he came in during the middle of the season,” Belichick said Tuesday.
Deatrich Wise, DE: He’s well-liked in the Patriots locker room. He’s a tireless worker. He plays a position where the Patriots need some depth: 3-4 defensive end. Still, his body type fits better for a 4-3 defensive end, and his presence on the field in the fourth preseason game seemed like a harbinger for a potential cut. But Wise, a 2017 fourth-round pick, survived cuts.
Gunner Olszewski, WR: After Olszewski was informed he would be released, it became clear he wouldn’t clear waivers, according to a source. He impressed around the league in the final preseason game while playing receiver, punter returner, kick returner, cornerback and safety. So the Patriots doubled back on their decision, traded Crossen and kept Olszewski, who will likely serve as a key special teams player.
