7 Tough decisions for Bill Belichick to make in Patriots’ final roster cuts

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has some hard choices to make this week, as the team makes final roster cuts for the 2023 season. He's already addressed some concerns, such as offensive tackle. But what else is left to do?

Plenty. Here are seven tough decisions that Belichick is going to have to make over the next day and a half as he cuts down the Patriots' roster...

Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker are likely in, and any trade involving them would qualify as a surprise. JuJu Smith-Schuster, in. Complicating matters, in a good way, is the emergence of the two rookies, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.

Douglas consistently impressed throughout the summer, and despite a reported minor shoulder injury, he should be safely on the initial 53-man roster. Boutte, meanwhile, overcame a quiet start to camp to stack days over the final few weeks. Boutte barely played in the preseason finale, an indication he's shown enough to make the team.

Here's where Belichick's decision could be made easier: Tyquan Thornton continues to miss practice with a shoulder injury. The Patriots would need to name Thornton to the 53-man roster first, in order to make him eligible to return from injured reserve. Thornton has had a disappointing summer, but still has too much upside to outright cut, so we expect him to either stay or be traded.

At the very least, Belichick would need to cut someone at another position to accommodate six wide receivers on the initial roster. He could arrange something to release a player, then bring him back after taking care of the procedural stuff. The situation reflects an interesting Patriots wide receiver depth chart, which doesn't contain a surefire No. 1 star, but six players that are too good to cut.

The Patriots may have Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki both healthy in time for the Eagles in Week 1, but they could still stand to carry a third tight end. It'll be interesting to see who that is, and whether he's named to the initial roster or released and stashed on the practice squad.

Matt Sokol is my leader in the clubhouse, because he's arguably the best blocker on the team at the position. Anthony Firkser has the edge as a pass-catcher, but not necessarily enough of a talent gap to beat out Sokol. The Pats are likely to run a lot of two-tight end sets this season, and that's where you'll really want to have at least one solid blocker.

Cunningham is most certainly a long way away as a quarterback at the NFL level, but we're even more certain that the experiment of converting him to wide receiver won't work out any time soon. Still, Cunningham has flashed enough to make him an intriguing hold, and at QB.

The question is, has Cunningham shown enough that it would be too risky to waive him and try to bring him back on the practice squad, where another team could eventually sign him away? It's possible that Belichick has to name Cunningham to the main roster and keep him there, even as a developmental player that won't see the field as a rookie.

See?! Kickers?! Plural?! Yes, it sounds like lunacy, but don't rule anything out with Bill Belichick. Rookie Chad Ryland hasn't done enough to separate himself from veteran incumbent Nick Folk, who also has been good enough to keep around.

Ryland will make the team. The decision is with Folk. Do they find a trade partner for the veteran? Do they move on regardless, and entrust field goals to the strong-but-erratic Ryland? There's enough intrigue here that both staying on the roster is at least a remote possibility.

Both starting guards, Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu, are uncertain to be ready for the season opener. The Patriots may feel comfortable enough with one of their backups, a group that includes James Ferentz, rookie Atonio Mafi, and converted defensive lineman Bill Murray.

But both guard spots? That wouldn't be ideal. It'll be interesting to see who stays, and whether Belichick feels compelled to add another guard via trade, waivers, or free agency.

Belichick doesn't seem particularly happy with this group as currently constituted. That's evidenced by the recent addition of Marquan McCall, who was released after failing a physical. The Patriots also cut veteran Carl Davis, whose time in New England seems officially over, as well as Justus Tavai.

So, the question with this group isn't necessarily who gets cut, but whether the Pats bring in a new face. Otherwise, Davis' departure opens the door for Daniel Ekuale to maintain his roster spot, or for second-year pro Jeremiah Pharms Jr. to sneak onto the roster.

Prior to suffering a scary-looking concussion during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, Bolden may have shown enough to be able to stick around. The question is whether Bolden, a rookie seventh-round pick out of Jackson State, makes the initial roster or is placed on injured reserve before that. The latter would end his season.

Bolden is intriguing as a reserve cornerback and could make immediate contributions on special teams, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Patriots kept him in the fold, one way or another.

We'll keep you updated as final roster cuts come in for the Patriots. Click here for our live tracker.

Also, check out Alex Barth's final 53-man roster projection and final takeaways from the Patriots' preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans. You can get complete coverage of the New England Patriots here at 985TheSportsHub.com.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt's content here.