Patriots 53-man roster projection after ugly preseason finale

The New England Patriots have the next few days to evaluate training camp and preseason performances and trim their roster to 53 players before the Sunday cut deadline at 6:00 p.m. ET. Even after a rough 37-13 preseason finale loss to the Cleveland Browns, coach Mike Vrabel is expected to weigh the full body of work rather than one game alone. The projection notes the Patriots are short on depth, so talent and need will likely dominate decisions. At quarterback, Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito headline, with rookie Behren Morton viewed as developmental. The backfield projection keeps two running backs, since there’s no Antonio Gibson for an initial No. 3 role. On defense, questions at linebacker deepen after Chad Muma struggled, while K.J. Britt and rookie Namdi Obiazor gained traction.