With 14 training camp practices and the first preseason game, now is as good a time as any to unveil my first 53-man roster. Unlike the last handful of years, I didn’t find myself having to debate too many spots. We’ll see if there are any unknown injuries from Thursday night, or if a position group played so poorly that Eliot Wolf, Mike Vrabel and company burn up the phone lines. But for now, this is what I got.
QBs (2): Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito
Toughest cut: Behren Morton.
I’ve liked what rookie Morton has looked like this spring and summer (preseason game was a little flat), but I don’t believe anyone is going to claim him. Stash him on the practice squad to continue his development and get yourself another roster spot elsewhere.
RBs (4): Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Jam Miller, Reggie Gilliam
Toughest cut: None.
Tough break for Terrell Jennings, who was placed on injured reserve a few hours before the Pats’ preseason opener. He was the clear lead dog to be RB3. That opened the door for Lan Larison, who strikes me as just a guy, and lo and behold, that’s what he looked like in preseason game #1. Dude, make someone miss. Thus, I’ve moved Miller ahead of him - he ran hard. The Pats did bring in two vets - JaMychal Hasty and Hassan Haskins - to create competition, and we’ll see if the younger bucks can hold them off.
WRs (6): A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Pop Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism
Toughest cut: None, though there are a couple of guys who are candidates for the practice squad (Cameron Dorner, Nick DeGennaro).
Kayshon Boutte is traded in this scenario. That opens the door for Chism to make the team and, likely, be inactive on most game days unless he can carve out a role as a kick returner. We lived that last year for a stretch, and it wasn’t good, but the staff loves how hard the kid works and how tough he is.
Douglas is trending toward more playing time, at least to start the season. Can he show improved feel vs. zone, and can he be serviceable in the run game? Maybe, and I doubt it.
I haven’t loved Hollins’ camp, but his physicality is needed, especially with the Pats likely breaking in two rookie tight ends.
Williams is confounding, and you saw why in a two-play stretch against the Colts (I wrote about it postgame). He has a rep here or there where he knocks your socks off. That’s why Vrabel says they’ll utilize him in some way, shape, or form. But consistency is not his middle name.
TEs (3): Hunter Henry, Eli Raridon, Tanner Arkin
Toughest cut: Jack Westover. Good kid. Did what was asked last year and did it to the best of his ability. Practice squad candidate, along with C.J. Dippre.
Henry had a quiet camp until the day he signed his extension, then he was all over the dang place. I thought maybe Vrabel would manage his reps a little more this summer, but that hasn’t been the case.
Raridon is an athlete but will need to show he’s more than just a big slot. I have no idea based on what we’ve seen in camp thus far. As for Arkin, I was tempted to leave that spot blank and have a veteran-to-be-named later in that space, but for now, I’ll stick with the kid. I thought he, like Raridon, had some nice moments in the game, and Arkin got reps at fullback as well.
OTs (5): Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, Caleb Lomu, Marcus Bryant, Demetrious Crownover
Toughest cut: None
Pretty self-explanatory. Crownover could be someone they roll the dice on and try to get to the practice squad, but there’s enough there - he’s massive - to be a little more protective.
IOL (4): Jared Wilson at C, Mike Onwenu, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown
Toughest cut: None
James Hudson, who is converting to guard this summer, got his lunch handed to him several times on Thursday. I’m out on him. Actually, I was never in.
This is another position where I could see the Pats fishing for outside help. They had Greg Van Roten in earlier this week, which should tell you that they aren’t satisfied with this group.
Brown has had an uneven camp, and has definitely been better at center than guard. He got hurt vs. the Colts and had that leg braced up in the locker room, but he insists he ducked a bad injury.
Edge (4): Dre’Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, Gabe Jacas, player-to-be-named
Toughest cut: Bradyn Swinson.
With Harold Landry on the PUP for who knows how long, and Swinson not showing me he’s worthy of a spot thus far (though he had some moments in the game), I have the panic button close by. It’s doubtful the Pats can find someone impactful at this point, but the ‘Help Wanted’ sign should be flying high over Gillette.
Ponder, who was the talk of the spring, has not jumped off the page this summer, which adds to my concerns.
DTs (6): Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Joshua Farmer, Corey Durden, Leonard Taylor, Eric Gregory
Toughest cut: Jeremiah Pharms, who is experienced and has given the Pats some pass rush in spells.
There’s a lot on Durden, who had a nice year in ‘25 but now has greater responsibilities with Khyiris Tonga in KC. It remains to be seen if more Durden leads to a better Durden. That’s why one of the others: Farmer, Taylor or Gregory, truly needs to elevate and be a consistent performer, especially against the run.
LBs (5): Robert Spillane, Christian Ellis, Chad Muma, Khalil Jacobs, K.J. Britt
Toughest cut: None. Not a deep group.
Muma has worked into the conversation, though I thought he had a tough day in joint practices. He’s athletic, though maybe not as fast as Elliss. Jacobs still doesn’t always know where he’s going - as Vrabel referenced - but there’s some juice there. He could probably be stashed, but if he can carve out a special teams role, he should be here when they kick off for real. Rookie Namdi Obiazor would strictly make it based on ST, not on LB play, which has been unremarkable, and in the end I decided to stick with the veteran Britt, who started and had a couple of nice plays, including a forced fumble.
CBs (6): Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Karon Prunty, Charles Woods, Kindle Vildor
Toughest cut: Channing Canada, who shows up here and there, and also got some kick return reps in the game, and Marcellas Dial, who is starting to kick off the rust after missing all of last season with an ACL.
I decided to keep six because the top two are health concerns, and the way Jones plays, there’s risk involved there as well. To say I’m underwhelmed by what’s behind them is an understatement, though I’ve seen growth from the rookie Prunty, and Woods was a reliable if not flashy backup a season ago.
Safety (4): Kevin Byard, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus, John Saunders Jr.
Toughest cut: Mike Brown, who went from lead dog in the third safety race to off the roster
Pettus is always around the football and remains one of my favorite unsung guys on the roster. After last night’s game, I flipped Saunders and Brown. I just haven’t seen much from Brown throughout camp, whereas Saunders keeps showing up, even if it’s against the backups.
I’ve been one of many who think Woodson is poised to take a big step this year. However, he has been lacking in coverage this summer, which was a bugaboo for him last season.
STs (4): Andy Borregales, Bryce Baringer, Julian Ashby, Brendan Schooler
We haven’t seen Schooler practice (he’s on PUP), but until I hear otherwise, I’m inclined to think he’ll be ready for week one.
PUP: Harold Landry. I have no idea when (if?) we’ll see him.
WINNER, WINNER
That didn’t take long.
10 practices into training camp, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has declared a winner in the team’s quarterback competition, naming Kyler Murray the winner over former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. To which I say, no kidding.
“It’s just the appropriate time now to give our team and everybody clarity on the direction we’re taking,” O’Connell said on Tuesday.
That most informed NFL people knew this the moment they inked Murray this offseason is a different story. Still, McCarthy had a steep hill to climb and was unable to overcome Murray’s experience and the promise of what he could bring to what should be an explosive offense.
“There’s moments in time where you know there’s comfort from Kyler in the scheme,” O’Connell said. “He had some really high completion days, where he was able to show some really, really good understanding of putting the ball in play. … And as you continue to look at the body of work through those 10 days, what jumped out is what could be.”
O’Connell met with both players to inform them of the decision. He believes McCarthy still has a chance to be a starting quarterback in this league, and maybe even in Minnesota.
“As he knows, he’s holding the pen on his story,” O’Connell said, “and we’re going to support him and try to help him continue to improve as a young player at the most difficult position in sports.”
McCarthy expressed his disappointment with the decision, calling it “out of my control.”
“Obviously, every competitor wants to play,” he added. “But moving forward, it’s just about continuing to work hard and staying ready for when my number is called.”
Since being selected in the 2024 draft, McCarthy has only played in 10 games. He missed his entire rookie season after August knee surgery (and a cleanup later), then was hampered by an ankle injury in his first year as a starter. Meanwhile, the player he replaced, Sam Darnold, went on to win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks.
“Like I said before, this is the place I want to be,” McCarthy said. “I love every single person in this building. I love this state. I love the fanbase. I’m going to keep continuing to do what I can for this team and organization.”
For what it’s worth, reports indicate neither player set the world on fire dating back to the spring. So perhaps McCarthy will get a chance if Murray falters. But that pick, and the decision to move on from Darnold, may cost O’Connell his job should the Vikings miss the postseason again.
JERRY PONIES UP
Jerry Jones has never been shy to roll the dice in contract negotiations - see forcing George Pickens to play under the franchise tag - but when it comes to Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys owner has a soft spot.
Jones greenlit the in-season trade with the Jets to grab Williams, giving up a 2026 second-rounder and a 2027 first-rounder, plus DL Mazi Smith. That deal immediately paid dividends, turning a rotten Dallas defense into something more workable.
Now, after more offseason additions and a new defensive coordinator, Williams is breaking the bank, inking an extension that will earn him $105 million over the first three seasons of the deal, including a full guarantee of $63.35 million. There are an additional two years on the contract, but with outs, the Cowboys can move on without major salary cap implications.
"He's a great player and one of the hardest-practicing guys out there,” Dallas EVP Stephen Jones (Jerry’s son) said. “Every time he lines up, you feel him. He doesn't take anything for granted. He doesn't say, 'Hey, I got this. I'll let my play do the talking.' You see it.
"He's the best player on the field whenever he's out there. The other thing is just what a man he is. He's a leader. We didn't have a lot of leadership on defense for the last couple of years. To have him and Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary. I think they really picked it up over there in terms of the culture and the leadership."
That line - “we didn’t have a lot of leadership on defense for the last couple of years” - feels like a direct shot at former Cowboy Micah Parsons. Dallas traded him to Green Bay before last season and went 7-9-1, missing the playoffs. Parsons is currently rehabbing a torn ACL and is expected back after the first month of the season.
EYES BEING OPENED
When the New York Jets decided to take Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey with the 2nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, it wasn’t universally loved. There were concerns about his size, his inconsistency as a run defender, and, quite frankly, a lot of people in the league thought the ceiling for Ohio State’s Arvell Reese was (is?) significantly higher. Was this just another example of the Jets doing Jet things? The jury is still out - no one has played a game that matters - but early returns aren’t just good; they’re outstanding.
The only player on that Jets roster that’s had any success in slowing the rookie down is right tackle Armand Membou (cough, cough). Gang Green’s first-rounder from a year ago called Bailey a “hell of a player” and added, “His speed off the ball, and also how he can go from speed to power, it's been a challenge going against him. It's been back-and-forth.”
Tampa Bay right tackle Luke Goedeke, himself a solid pro, got cooked by Bailey repeatedly during joint practices, and during one of the rare reps that he won, Goedeke gave the kid a little push, and it led to a fracas. Head coach Aaron Glenn publicly expressed displeasure - “It’s a lot of energy wasted doing that. Those guys have to learn.” - but I bet you privately he enjoyed Bailey’s competitiveness. That was something that entire defense lacked a season ago, and if it looks that way again in ‘26, Glenn will be unemployed in no time.
“I’ve been around a ton of rookies,” veteran linebacker Demario Davis said. “I’ve seen some who were projected high not play up to that level. I’ve seen some projected low who played above that level. He looks like a No. 2 pick. He looks like everything that’s been advertised about him and more.”