From a QB decision to roster cuts, a look at what's next for Patriots ahead of regular season
FOXBORO -- The Patriots wrapped up their preseason on Sunday night with an ugly 20-10 loss to the Commanders, and now it's on to Cincinnati and the regular season for Jerod Mayo and company.
Whether they're ready or not, Week 1 will be here in less than two weeks. Right now, the Patriots do not look ready.
We believe that the defense will be pretty good, but they weren't tested at all in the preseason as the Pats went against second- and third-teamers. Meanwhile, the offensive line is a mess, which isn't making it easy to install a new offense under new OC Alex Van Pelt.
A lot of people want to see Drake Maye start right away, but do we really want to see the future of the franchise running for his life every weekend? While Maye looked good in his preseason action, playing real NFL defenses in the regular season is a much different beast. And it's a lot more difficult when your offensive line can't line up properly or go 30 seconds without a penalty.
While Patriots players will get some time off over the next week, the New England brass will be hard at work finalizing the team's roster ahead of the 2024 regular season. Here's what is on tap for the Patriots leading up to Sept. 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When do Patriots need to make roster cuts?
The Patriots and every other NFL team now have to trim their roster down to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be a tense few days for players on the roster bubble.
A few notable names that could be cut by New England include quarterback Bailey Zappe, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, and second-year kicker Chad Ryland.
Quarterback Decision
It looks like Jacoby Brissett will be the team's starting quarterback when Week 1 against the Bengals arrives. He wasn't super impressive during the preseason though, and Maye's improvement over the weeks has many clamoring for the rookie to start right out of the gate.
Maye made strides throughout the summer and the Patriots have to be pleased with his progress. But the team around him is... not good. It doesn't sound like the Patriots are in any rush to get their 21-year-old quarterback prospect onto the field at the moment, as Mayo referred to Maye as the "second-best quarterback" on the team. It sounds like a decision has already been made, though if the shoulder injury that Brissett suffered Sunday turns into something concerning, it may force the team to call an audible.
The QB decision will ultimately be made by Mayo, Van Pelt, and executive VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf. The Patriots should have an answer by as early as Monday night after watching Sunday night's film, though they may not make an announcement until a few days before their tilt against the Bengals.
Hitting the waiver wire
Once the roster trimming is done, teams will set their sights on the waiver wire in hopes of finding some talent ahead of the season. It's bargain bin shopping, but Mayo said Sunday that the Patriots are going to be active on the waiver wire ahead of Week 1.
"Look, I'm concerned about every position," Mayo said. "I would say Elliot and myself and the rest of the staff, our job is to always look for better players. We'll be very active on the waiver wire; there'll be some good football players out there on the street."
The Patriots probably won't be able to find a new starting left tackle off waivers, but expect them to take a look at just about every offensive lineman available. They have the third waiver priority, so they should be able to land just about anyone they want off waivers.
Patriots practice schedule
With a break between now and Week 1 against the Bengals, Patriots players will get Monday and Tuesday off before returning to practice on Wednesday. They'll practice both Wednesday and Thursday, and then get Friday through Monday off before reporting back for Week 1 of the regular season.
We'll hear from Mayo during his appearance on WEEI and through his video conference with reporters on Monday morning, but then we won't hear from anyone with the Pats until Wednesday afternoon.