Report: NFL to continue roster flexibility rules from 2020

Author Alex Barth

July 23rd, 2021 2:48 PM

During the 2020 season, the NFL added flexibility to roster limits and roster movement policies in order to help teams better handle the COVID-19 Pandemic. Those changes received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and will now be returning for the 2021 season.

According to

Teams had been waiting to find out about roster flexibility rules, and now there's an answer: The 2020 rules will remain in place, with expanded practice squads, easier return from IR. Both sides (teams/NFLPA) were in favor of keeping them.

Perhaps the most notable adjustment that will continue regards practice squads. Teams will be allowed to carry 16 players, as opposed to the previous 10. There will also be practice squad spots available for veteran players, whereas in the past they were limited to players with a maximum of two accrued seasons.

Once again, up to four practice squad players can be ‘protected’ from other teams signing them, although that designation wasn’t used much in 2020. Previously, practice squad players were de facto free agents that could be signed to another team’s 53-man roster.

As was the case last year, teams will be able to elevate players from the practice squad to the active roster the day before a game, without those players counting against the roster total or having to go through waivers when reverting to the practice squad. Players can only be elevated twice during the season.

There were also adjustments made to the IR rules that will carry over from last season. Players will be eligible to return from IR after three weeks instead of six, and there is no longer a limit as to how many players a team can active off IR.

How might these protocols being in place impact the Patriots’ roster. Here’s a look at the current roster projection ahead of training camp beginning next week.

• Quarterback (3)

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  • Mac Jones
  • Cam Newton
  • Jarrett Stidham

  
  There’s a couple of reasons the Patriots may want to keep three quarterbacks on the roster. First, they deeply value experience at the position. It’s hard to see them keeping just one quarterback with NFL experience. Second, if it’s just Cam Newton and Mac Jones with Newton as the starter, Jones will be left running the scout team, giving him less time to work in the Patriots’ offense.
  
  There are, of course, a few ways to work around that second point. A practice squad QB could take over that role. If the practice squad rules mirror those from last year, Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer could even potentially be kept. But for now, Stidham makes the team.

• Running Back (6)

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  • Brandon Bolden
  • Damien Harris
  • Sony Michel
  • Rhamondre Stevenson
  • J.J. Taylor
  • James White

  
  It’s hard to justify keeping six running backs, but it’s harder to justify cutting any of these players. All either play key roles for the team, or project to in the near future.
  
  The two closest ‘bubble’ players are Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor. Bolden’s special teams role could be filled by a number of other players on the roster, but it’s actually his ability to provide depth in the backfield that keeps him on the team. There could be a need for a veteran back if Damien Harris and/or Sony Michel get hurt. 
  
  As for Taylor, he showed too much promise last year in his brief stint on the active roster to move on from him just yet. Both Bolden and Taylor are benefited by Stevenson’s rookie status, and the fact the Patriots rarely play first-year backs.

• Wide Receiver (5)

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  • Nelson Agholor
  • Kendrick Bourne
  • Jakobi Meyers
  • Gunner Olszewski
  • Isaiah Zuber

  
  It doesn’t seem likely the Patriots would simply release 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry. At the same time, the team seems to have shifted its preferences at the receiver position, and he looked like an odd man out at times this spring. 
  
  There were rumors during the opening weeks of free agency that there were multiple teams interested in trading for Harry, who has two concrete years remaining on his contract as well as a fifth-year option. If Harry pops this summer, the team could look to move him for an early-to-mid Day 3 draft pick.
  
  In Harry’s spot, the Patriots elect to keep Isaiah Zuber. Zuber’s versatility - both being able to play all over the offensive formation and contribute on special teams - make him the best option for the final receiver spot. 
  
  Tre Nixon had a strong spring, and is a candidate to make the roster. But with six running backs, another position has to be thinner, and that’s wideout. He’d be a prime practice squad candidate who could fill in during the season if injuries become a problem.
• Tight End/Fullback (3)

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  • Devin Asiasi
  • Hunter Henry
  • Jonnu Smith

  
  By now, you may have noticed no fullbacks on this year’s roster. The position has been a staple of the Patriots’ offense for the past few seasons, but that could change this year.
  
  With two tight ends, the Patriots will likely shift most of their 21 personnel sets to 12, to maximize their talent on the field. When needed a second blocking back on the goal line, they can use a lineman, which Bill Belichick has done in the past (James Ferentz, Richard Seymour, Dan Klecko, etc). 
  
  It was tempting to keep Dalton Keene, who projects to be able to play both tight end and fullback. However, he was the victim of the number crunch, and becomes a prime practice squad candidate. As for Jakob Johnson, he can be protected by the team under the International Pathway program, meaning they can get him to the practice squad without using up a spot, but he wouldn’t be eligible to play at all this season.

• Offensive Line (8)

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  • David Andrews (C)
  • Trent Brown (T)
  • Justin Herron (T)
  • Ted Karras (C/G)
  • Shaq Mason (G)
  • Michael Onwenu (G/T)
  • William Sherman (T/G)
  • Isaiah Wynn (T)

  
  Offensive line is usually one of the toughest positions to figure out when putting together a roster projection. Yet in a year where the roster projection is as challenging as it’s been in a while, the O-line was relatively straight forward.
  
  The key here is the positional versatility of Ted Karras, Michael Onwenu, and rookie William Sherman. Their ability to cover multiple spots saves the team from having to carry a ninth lineman and backup center, likely James Ferentz.

• Defensive Line (7)

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  • Henry Anderson
  • Christian Barmore
  • Davon Godchaux 
  • Lawrence Guy
  • Ronnie Perkins
  • Chase Winovich
  • Deatrich Wise Jr.

  
  First off, feel free to call Chase Winovich a linebacker if you prefer. It could go either way, but on the Patriots website he’s listed as a lineman, and that was the delineator here.
  
  There’s a lot of talent left off the board here, with the Patriots’ defensive front incredibly deep after their free agency spending spree. Montravius Adams had a strong spring, but he gets boxed out by the addition of Christian Barmore and the return of Lawrence Guy. 
  
  Akeem Spence, Tashawn Bower, Carl Davis and Nick Thurman all contributed at times last year, but the idea from the front office seems to be to rework this group as a whole. They’re all candidates to return to the practice squad if veterans are eligible. Byron Cowart was one of the toughest cuts to make - as he projects as a player who could fill Adam Butler’s old role. But again there’s just not enough spots to keep every player who seems like a fit.
• Linebacker (6)

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  • Ja’Whaun Bentley
  • Dont’a Hightower
  • Anfernee Jennings
  • Matt Judon
  • Josh Uche
  • Kyle Van Noy

  
  Again, there were some very tough cuts at this position. Terez Hall and Raekwon McMillan both seem like players who could make an impact within the Patriots’ defensive system, and the plan was originally to keep at least one. If either has a particularly strong training camp, the Patriots could look to trade Ja’Whaun Bentley - who is in the final year of his contract - to open up a spot and add some more east-west athleticism to this group.
  
  Although he missed most of the spring with an injury, Anfernee Jennings should still be a part of the team’s plans going forwards. Just one year isn’t enough to write off a player with his upside, and we’ve seen plenty of defensive players take a massive jump in year two in the system.
  
  Fifth-round pick Cameron McGrone will likely play a role for this team in the future, but is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last fall. As Bill Belichick said during the draft, McGrone is unlikely to play this year, and probably spends his rookie season on IR.

• Cornerback (5)

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  • Myles Bryant
  • Stephon Gilmore
  • J.C. Jackson
  • Jonathan Jones
  • Joejuan Williams

  
  For the sake of this exercise, let’s assume Stephon Gilmore’s contract situation is fixed one way or another, and he’s back for 2021. Him and Jackson are the two starting outside cornerbacks, with Joejuan Williams taking Jason McCourty’s old role as the rotational option. This is also a spot where Belichick could look to add a veteran from another team after roster cutdowns.
  
  In the slot, Jonathan Jones returns as the primary option, with Myles Bryant sticking as his backup after a strong showing down the stretch in 2020. Bryant’s ability to play safety if needed goes a long way in helping him make the team.

• Safety (4)

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  • Kyle Dugger
  • Devin McCourty
  • Jalen Mills
  • Adrian Phillips

  
  Adrian Colbert was yet another difficult cut. His experience playing both deep safety and special teams makes him a logical fit for this team, and he put together a solid spring. Again, there just aren’t enough spots to keep everybody worth keeping.
  
  Plus, having just four safeties on the roster feels thin, especially with two of them (Jalen Mills and Adrian Phillips) helping provide depth at other positions. Myles Bryant and Joejuan Williams having experience at safety helps balance that out.
• Special Teams (6)

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  • Nick Folk (K)
  • Jake Bailey (P)
  • Joe Cardona (LS)
  • Justin Bethel (Coverage)
  • Cody Davis (Coverage)
  • Matthew Slater (Coverage)

  
  One more tough cut among the core special teamers, and that’s Brandon King. Having not played for two years since a torn quad in 2019, King ends up on the outside looking in at the kick coverage unit. 
  
  Nick Folk seems secure in the kicking job to this point. But if Quinn Nordin can fix his accuracy issues, it will be a real competition. At the very least, the Patriots’ lone UDFA should land on the practice squad.

• Bubble watch

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  Here’s a quick look at the last three players that were cut, and the last three left on the roster.
  
  Last three off:

  • Brandon King
  • Terez Hall
  • Adrian Colbert

  
  Last three on:

  • J.J. Taylor
  • Jarrett Stidham
  • Anfernee Jennings

Patriots 2021 Positional Previews: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive Line | Defensive Line | Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety | Special Teams

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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Author Alex Barth

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