Bedard: Looking back on 53-man picks, initial confidence & worry spots on roster - age/depth an issue

Have to be accountable — for the good and the bad here at BSJ — so let's go over what we got right, and wrong from our final stab at the Patriots' 53-man roster. (Of course, this is all going to change in the coming days as they add and subtract from the roster, but we'll make do.)

I've made all four version of my picks and running roster conversation free for all to view so you can see some of the progression, if you like.

Version 3
Version 2
Version 1

Let's post the final 53 with the picks highlight (green is good, red is bad) and then we'll go over it.





By the numbers:

• Patriots, by my count, had 89 players officially on the roster before the moves began. Of those, I erred on five players (Brandon King, Geneo Grissom making the team; Cole Croston, Riley McCarron and Brandon Bolden being released). So I was correct on 94.4 percent of the players. Not bad. And considering none would be major contributors, I'll take it.


• As far as position groups, I was perfect on my picks for seven of the 12 that I track — quarterback (layup), tight end, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, cornerback, safety and specialists (layup).


• I missed on running backs (Bolden), receivers (McCarron), guard/center (Croston), edge (Grissom) and linebacker (King).


• So basically when it boiled down to it, I lost McCarron to an empty spot, erred on which ST-only player they'd keep (King over Bolden), and thought they'd keep at least one more lineman instead of a ST special (Grissom over Croston).

• RB Brandon Bolden: Considering all the injury issues at this position, I figured Bolden was a shoe-in for a spot considering he can be productive when needed. Just a good, solid all-around player. Would not be surprised to see him back soon.


• WR Riley McCarron: This didn't surprise me, because it's not like McCarron actually won a spot; it was more by default. I just never thought the Patriots would actually keep just three real receivers. But they likely have confidence no one else will claim him, and he could be a p-squad addition if the waiver wire is not fruitful. Could see him being on call for much of this season.


• OG Cole Croston: This was absolutely no surprise because I thought he was one of the worst offensive linemen this summer. But the Patriots kept him on the roster all last year and Dante Scarnecchia almost always gets to keep some guy you can't figure out. But this year, Scar got no dead weight. Actually, he doesn't even have a full room and that's scary. More on that in a second.


• DE Geneo Grissom: Absolutely won a spot this year, and I thought about putting him on instead of Keionta Davis — who I still don't think earned a spot but I'm sure the Pats have their reasons — but KD is Bill's binky (he's the new Jordan Richards). Didn't think they had a spot for Grissom, but the guy had a great summer, and has really improved. He might actually see the field this season.


• LB Brandon King: OK, so the guy is great at special teams. Splendid. But don't come hollering at me when two of the top four linebackers go down because of injury and neither King nor Nicholas Grigsby (another STer at LB) have to play significant snaps but can't. King showed absolutely nothing on defense this summer — he didn't play one snap on defense in the preseason! Not only that, he was switching positions from safety to linebacker, so you'd figure he could use some practice. Nope. Not needed. Only the Patriots would keep a player on the roster who didn't play a snap of team during the preseason.