11 guys who have a lot riding on Thursday's preseason-season finale

With final cuts looming this weekend, here’s a look at 11 guys on the bubble who need a good outing in tonight’s preseason finale against the Giants to solidify their chances of sticking around Foxborough in some form or fashion.

Let me be really clear about this. For most of these guys, this is a good position to be in. It means they’ve defied some expectations and played well enough to be part of the conversation when it comes to the 53-man roster. (Or at the very least, the practice squad.) And a strong outing in the preseason finale would allow them to continue trending in the right direction and leave a nice memory in the minds of the coaching staff when they have to make their final decision this weekend.

“When a player starts at a lower level and is moving up, then if he’s moving up and he’s moving up at a good rate and you think that rate is going to continue, then that carries a lot of weight,” said Bill Belichick when he was asked about player evaluation in the last preseason game. “Even though he’s not there yet, if you think he’s going to get there, a lot of times you bank on that.

“We evaluate everything,” he added. “But if there’s a rising trend, that carries a lot of weight. So, this is the last opportunity. If guys that have been improving the last couple weeks can add onto that, it will absolutely help them. It could help them a lot.”

The other thing to be mindful of?


These guys are not only vying for a spot against their teammates who are currently in the locker room, they want to leave no doubt when it comes to whether or not the Patriots can find an improvement at that same position if another player at that same spot suddenly becomes available. Belichick has always been interested in making upgrades between final cuts and the kickoff of the regular season, and this season will be no exception. The bottom line? If you’re on the bubble, this is no time to get comfortable.

With all that in mind, here are 11 guys who need to show up in the Thursday preseason finale.

Running back Ralph Webb: Webb looked really good out of the gate, rushing for a pair of touchdowns and a two-point conversion in garbage time against the Redskins in the preseason opener. But since then, he’s only played 11 snaps, as the majority of the between-the-tackles work has gone to veterans Jeremy Hill and Mike Gillislee. It’s a crowded spot at the running back position, and with the starters expected to sit Thursday night, Webb will have a chance to make his case. Webb is practice-squad eligible, but given his performance against Washington, there might be too much good film on him out there at this point in the summer to sneak him through. (When it comes to the rest of the backs who might be in question, I don’t think Gillislee is on the bubble for two reasons: one, he’s Rex Burkhead insurance. Or two, he could be trade bait as part of a deal that could bring picks and/or an offensive skill position player — likely a receiver — in return.)

Wide receiver Devin Lucien: Lucien is back for another preseason with the Patriots, and given the state of the receiver position, this summer might represent his best shot. A guy with a similar size and skill set as Eric Decker, he could see some extra chances on Thursday now that Decker is out of the picture. But even with all the personnel moves, we’re not sure that would be enough to make it. He does have practice squad eligibility, which works in his favor. (On another note, when it comes to the back end of the wide receiver depth chart at this point, I’d go with Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, Riley McCarron and Matthew Slater, with Braxton Berrios to the practice squad. That could all change if there’s a trade, but that’s the five who have earned their spot on the 53.)