The New England Patriots’ roster is mostly where it will be for the 2023 season, barring any blockbuster moves after adding players through free agency, the draft and as undrafted free agents.
Now, we’re counting down the days for the exciting camp battles across many positions. It will turn up the heat this summer to find out who is ready to take on a larger role and make the 53-man roster.
So much is taken into consideration when teams make roster decisions at the end of camp. Sure, the talent matters, but at the end of the day, NFL teams take age, contract status, rookie readiness and so much more into roster decisions.
The process even leads to key veterans becoming cap casualties sometimes. All of the numbers today are provided by Over The Cap, but we’re going to explore six potential cap casualties for the Patriots in 2023.
WR DeVante Parker - $6.2 million saved
Parker is the only true X receiver on the roster.
He missed some time in 2022, which was par for the course when considering his career. All in all, he’s an uber-talented player that just couldn’t stay on the field,
He might be one of the better what-if stories in recent memory.
Parker is still an effective veteran with good athletic traits, and he gives the Patriots a skill set they haven’t had in a long time. However, with two rookie receivers and a 2022 second-round receiver on the team, there may be a shift by the Patriots to try and let the young guys get reps.
A cap savings of $6.2 million is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but when you’re a fringe team looking to set yourself up for flexibility, it might make sense to clear that space.
I think Parker has some value around the league, and I would expect him to be traded if the team decides to move on. However, he’s on this list for the fact that the Patriots may just value the cap space now over a sixth-round pick next year.
I don’t think the Patriots should move on because he has no more money after this year, and injuries do happen. They will especially happen across the league, and a team may be desperate enough right around the time younger guys are ready to take over in New England at the trade deadline.
To me, it’s worth it to keep a cheap, potentially impactful, veteran on the roster, unless Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte or Demario Douglas break through the glass roof set in front of them in camp.
DL Lawrence Guy - $3.07 million saved
Lawrence Guy is one heck of a person and leader for the Patriots, but he is also up there in age. The Patriots have addressed a clear need of getting younger across the defensive line, and they need to open opportunities for reps with younger players like Sam Roberts and rookie second-round draft pick Keion White.
Guy could save the team a little over $3 million in camp, and he might be one of the veterans we see go to make room for cheaper, younger players. Guy’s skill set might be replicated in 2023, and the Patriots need to start passing the torch sooner than later.
K Nick Folk - $2.2 million saved
Nick Folk has seemingly lost some magic here as of late after reviving his career in the back-nine. With the early draft selection of rookie kicker Chad Ryland, it is extremely likely that Folk is cut in camp.
He could remain on the roster on the off chance Ryland is a wasted pick or gets injured, but it is likely we have seen the end of Folk in New England.
CB Myles Bryant - $2.67 million saved
With his tender not a guaranteed contract and the Patriots selecting three corners in the 2023 NFL draft, it is likely Bryant is one of the first to go, as the Patriots could value the extra space for roster maneuvering throughout the year.
I also think Ameer Speed and Isaiah Bolden make the roster in favor of their size and speed. So someone like Bryant, who is lacking in both categories, the Patriots may look to supplement his versatility at multiple positions with Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones instead.
OT Yodny Cajuste - $2.74 million saved
Similarly to Bryant, Cajuste has a non-guaranteed tender that he signed this offseason, essentially dependent on if he makes the roster or not. There are no guarantees, so there is no dead money on the books.
Besides the numbers, the Patriots have multiple offensive tackles competing for one of the likely four spots on the roster, and Cajuste will be the odd man out here. Calvin Anderson, Riley Reiff, Trent Brown, Conor McDermott, and 2023 fourth-rounder Sidy Sow will all likely compete for the tackle slots.
Reiff will leave an almost $5 million dead cap hit, while Brown and Anderson would both leave $4 million. So it’ll be an uphill battle for Cajuste to make the roster, but there is a good chance he sticks around on the practice squad.
OT Trent Brown - $8 million saved
Brown is the Patriots’ best tackle, but that isn’t saying much after he looked like he had checked out at times last season. A potential cost savings of $8 million is a huge chunk of money, even with the $4 million dead cap hit.
But Brown is a free agent after this year, and if the Patriots feel that rookie Sidy Sow, who could get tested at left tackle in camp, is as good or better, they may look to move on from Brown.
This would allow Riley Reiff, Sow, Calvin Anderson, Conor McDermott, Yodny Cajuste, and 2022 seventh-rounder Andrew Stueber to battle for the four tackle slots on the roster. We all hope to see the Brown of old, but there is a chance he is a cap casualty if the competition gets hot.
