With training camp looming, we’ve decided to rate the Patriots’ roster, counting down the most valuable from No. 90 to No. 1. “Valuable” can be defined on multiple levels, but for purposes of this exercise, we’re going to take a few different things into account: talent, dependability, track record of success in the system, and their individual spot on the depth chart. (Basically: How badly would things be if they were removed from the lineup?)
There are some cases — namely, the first-year players — where it’s tough to predict where they should land. But based on their performances in the spring workouts and having talked to teammates and people around the league, we took our best shot.
We continue our series Tuesday with No. 81 through No. 73. Like our first group, there are more back-end-of-the-roster guys here who could have a shot at crashing the 53-man roster. The bigger difference here? There's more experience, including a few veterans.
81. David Jones: He has a better shot than some of the other defensive backs because he’s more of a safety than corner — and once you get past the McCourty/Harmon/Chung trio, there are some questions at safety. But he’s still behind a lot of others at the spot, which means it’ll be an uphill climb for playing time.
80. Andrew Jelks: Like Keionta Davis at No. 84, he’s a guy who has been around for a full year, but we have yet to see him in pads for a sustained period of time. The Patriots brought in a ton of offensive tackles this season, so it’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out for him. But there’s a reason they kept him around all year last year, even though they didn’t need to. One to watch come camp — when it comes to this list, he could go in one direction or another pretty quickly depending on how he looks.
79. Damarius Travis: A safety who stood out on a few plays over the course of the spring, Travis could crash the practice squad in 2018.
78. Ryan Izzo: Rookie tight end out of Florida State. The depth chart is pretty crowded, so he would appear bound for the practice squad, provided he has a good summer.
77. Cody Hollister: Maybe a little low, considering the fact he’s been in the system for a full year and the changes the Patriots have had at wide receiver over the last 12 months. His background suggests that he could ultimately find a spot on the practice squad, but if he has another good summer, there could be bigger things in his future.
76. Ryan Lewis: Cornerback who showed some promise when we had a chance to watch him last year. Like some of the other corners at the back end of the roster, he’ll need to fight to make his mark on special teams before he gets any significant snaps. If everything breaks right, he’s one of the guys in this group who has a chance to at least reach the practice squad.
75. Troy Niklas: A veteran who has just never been right, health-wise, he looked kind of clunky in the spring workouts. In contrast, Jacob Hollister looked good. The bottom line is that, at least as it relates to the 2018 season, Niklas’ fortunes could be tied to Dwayne Allen. If the Patriots can find a way to pare down Allen’s unwieldy cap hit, it’s unlikely that Niklas ends up sticking on the roster. If not? He probably has a better chance.
74. Will Tye: Like Keionta Davis and Andrew Jelks, Tye is a bit of a wild card in that he’s someone with an intriguing skill set who we really haven’t seen play, at least around here. He spent most of the 2017 season on the practice squad, but would certainly appear to have the professional resume (a combined 90 catches in 2015-16 with the Giants) to succeed in the NFL again. Two things to keep in mind here: He’s only 26. And there could be some movement at the tight end position with this team over the next year-plus. If that happens, he could end up being a factor in the Patriots’ future plans.
73. Danny Etling: The LSU product had some good moments this spring, and while he’s still probably in the developmental stage, a few things stand out: One, he was almost always one of the first guys on the field and the last off. Not sure how much that matters, but it’s a good look for a rookie. Two, he made some rookie mistakes, but didn’t appear too overwhelmed. And three, he threw a pretty clean ball. A lot of his future this season is going to be tied up in his preseason and camp performances. If he performs well in the second half of preseason action, it might be tough to get him through to the practice squad. If the Patriots don’t think they would wedge him through, it could force the franchise to try and keep three quarterbacks. At the very least, he’ll provide a compelling reason to watch the third and fourth quarter of the preseason this summer.