Patriots
After cuts, trades, and injuries, Drake Maye, Javon Baker, and Caedan Wallace are all that’s left of year’s draft class
And then there were three.
Drake Maye, Javon Baker, and Caedan Wallace are the only players from last year’s Patriots draft class left on the active roster after cuts, season-ending injuries, and a trade.
Five of the eight players the Patriots selected in 2024 are either no longer with the team or too hurt to play in the near future.
Maye isn’t just a lock to make the team, he’s the franchise quarterback and has much of the team’s hopes riding on his shoulders.
Wallace’s and Baker’s cases aren’t nearly as clear cut.
While the Patriots’ lack of depth on the offensive line could help Wallace, the fact that the coaching staff has attempted to move him from guard to tackle, along with him not seeing many first-team reps this summer, shows that he’s not exactly getting a ringing endorsement from the decision makers.
Baker is a deep threat, which is something that this Patriots receiver room doesn’t seem to have very much of, and the coaching staff has attempted to use his athleticism on special teams. But, the Patriots’ receiver room is crowded, and undrafted rookie Efton Chism could force some tough decisions to be made.
So, here’s a look at what happened to all the others, along with a slightly deeper look at the final three’s shots at making the team.
Cut/Traded
OL Layden Robinson
The Patriots announced Sunday that Robinson was waived with an injury designation.
When a player with less than four-years experience gets cut, he has to go on waivers, which means there is a period where any team could claim him.
If he clears waivers, Robinson will revert to the Patriots’ injured reserve list.
QB Joe Milton
New England traded Milton to the Cowboys in the offseason.
The Patriots got a fifth-round pick in exchange for Milton (who was taken in the sixth round), as well as a seventh rounder.
The former Tennessee quarterback, known for his legendarily strong arm and training camp backflips, made some noise with the Cowboys this summer, but the hype appears to have cooled off.
TE Jaheim Bell
Bell was one of 14 names that coach Mike Vrabel announced last week during the first wave of roster cuts.
The seventh-round pick was competing for the third tight end spot behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, but did not gain enough traction to stick on the roster.
Injured
WR Ja’Lynn Polk
Polk is reportedly expected to miss the 2025 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
When coach Mike Vrabel was asked about the report of the injury, he said he wanted to figure out how to deal with the ‘rats’ who leaked it.
Polk had 12 catches for 87 yards during his rookie season and had an up-and-down training camp while he was out there.
CB Marcellas Dial
Dial went down with a torn ACL during training camp.
The sixth-round pick, who made the 53-man roster last year, was expected to add athleticism to the special teams unit and depth as a reserve cornerback.
Last three standing
QB Drake Maye
Roster Status: Lock
Competition: None
The outlook: This is Maye’s team. He’s the leader of the offense. He played well enough last year to be selected as a Pro Bowl alternate. He’s expected to take a leap in Year 2, and the Patriots could be in for a long season if he doesn’t.
OL Caedan Wallace
Roster status: Bubble
Competition: Ben Brown, Cole Strange, Jared Wilson
The outlook: So far, it looks like rookie Jared Wilson has the best chance at being the starting left guard for the Patriots. Go ahead and pencil Mike Onwenu in at right guard.
So, Wallace is probably looking at a left guard spot. Ben Brown has occasionally gotten first-team reps, albeit not as frequently as Wilson.
Former first round pick Strange has slipped down the depth chart after beginning camp as a starter.
The interior of the Patriots’ offensive line remains a weak spot, especially when depth is concerned. Wallace’s case seems like it could go either way, the Patriots lack depth at those spots, but they don’t seem entirely sold on Wallace either.
WR Javon Baker
Roster Status: Bubble
Competition: Kendrick Bourne, Efton Chism III
The outlook: The Patriots’ top receivers appear to be Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, and Kayshon Boutte. Mack Hollins and second-round pick Kyle Williams have both shown flashes and appear to be in a pretty decent spot to make the roster.
So, that’s five players. There’s a question as to whether the Patriots will carry six or seven receivers.
Chism’s production has been hard to argue against. He has 122 yards and a pair of touchdown catches. Baker had just one catch for 13 yards during the entire preseason. If he makes the team, it’s because the Patriots are betting on upside and his ability to help out on special teams.
Bourne is an established veteran who has played in Josh McDaniels’s offense before. His familiarity with it, along with production from past years, could be factors in the decision-making process despite the fact that he has dealt with injuries this summer.
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