5 possible surprise roster cuts looming on the horizon for Patriots

First-year coach Jerod Mayo is going to have some tough decisions when he and his staff whittle down the New England Patriots’ roster. The honeymoon phase is nearly over and the business of winning football games is on the horizon.

That means surprise roster cuts.

The Patriots have improved at a multitude of different positions in the offseason, which means the battle to secure a roster spot will be fierce. That’s obviously a good thing in the long run for a rebuilding Patriots team looking to be more competitive after a 4-13 finish in the 2023 regular season.

We’ll get into the business of predicting full roster cuts down the line, but for now, we're taking a look at some potential cuts the Patriots could make.

Here are five players that might not make the team:

More: Here are 6 takeaways from Day 1 of Patriots OTAs, or organized team activities.

Quarterback Bailey Zappe

Mayo has already teased that the Patriots won’t be carrying four quarterbacks on their roster. Unless Bailey Zappe makes some monumental jump in Year 3, he is likely to be the odd man out in New England.

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye is a lock to make the roster and Jacoby Brissett was brought in as the veteran bridge option. Brissett has extensive experience running the offensive schemes of the team's new coordinator Alex Van Pelt and he’s the perfect transitional option under center.

That leaves rookie draft pick Joe Milton III, who should get the nod over Zappe on pure upside alone. Many teams would love to take a flier on “Bazooka Joe." The quarterbacks room in New England is as stacked as it’s been in years and that could be bad news for Zappe.

Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster

Smith-Schuster clearly wasn’t 100% last season but the lack of production he had on the field was shocking. After winning a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs and serving as one of Patrick Mahomes’ top receiving targets, Smith-Schuster mustered only 29 receptions for 260 yards and one touchdown in 11 games with the Patriots.

It isn’t a matter of talent because assuming that would be disrespectful toward Smith-Schuster, who has proved himself on many occasions to be on the high-end of the spectrum of receiving targets in the NFL.

The concerns with Smith-Schuster is more about the toll past injuries have taken on his body. He doesn’t look like the same player, despite being just 27 years old. There is a ton of competition in the wide receivers room in Foxboro this year and it’s hard to see where Smith-Schuster fits in.

Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton

Thornton hasn’t lived up to expectations in the least bit for the Patriots. The second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft has only 35 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns in 22 games for the Patriots.

The alarming fact is that he’s been part of one of the worst receiving rooms in the league for the last two seasons and still failed to stand out. It’s hard to envision that suddenly changing in his third year with the team, even with a new and hopefully improved offense.

More: Here is the New England Patriots' full 2024 draft class.

The Patriots are loaded at the top with Demario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Thornton is going to have a hard time standing out in that group and solidifying a roster spot.

Tight end Austin Hooper

Observers are so infatuated with the Patriots' moves at quarterback and wide receiver that they’re completely overlooking the team's much-improved tight ends room. The Pats made a splash in the offseason by extending Hunter Henry’s contract and signing veteran Hooper.

But they also double-dipped in the rookie department by drafting Jaheim Bell in the seventh round and signing a talented undrafted free agent in Jacob Warren. They are versatile offensive weapons who could help out sooner than some think.

Hooper, who was expected to fill the Mike Gesicki role, is approaching 30 years old and coming off the worst season of his NFL career with the Las Vegas Raiders. Henry is the do-everything tight end, while Mitchell Wilcox was brought in as the primary blocking tight end. That should create a fierce competition for the secondary receiving role at that position.

Kicker Chad Ryland

The Patriots didn’t draft a kicker but they did pluck veteran Joey Slye off the free-agent market to compete with Ryland. It was a necessary move after the up-and-down season Ryland had as a rookie in 2023.

Slye is a six-year veteran with a ton of experience after playing for multiple NFL teams. An argument easily could be made that the Patriots should not have moved on from Nick Folk last season. This could be the new regime’s way of righting that wrong by going after another dependable veteran kicker to fill the special teams role.

Slye is going to provide real competition for the former Maryland standout, who’s run in New England could be cut short.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 5 possible surprise roster cuts looming on the horizon for Patriots