Patriots prepare to trim roster as preseason draws to an end

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has plenty of things to balance this week as his team prepares for its preseason finale against the New York Giants on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
First on the agenda is paring the Patriots roster from 90 players to 75 by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, something that Belichick knows makes the job of getting his team ready for Thursday a little bit tougher.
?We?re just trying to balance a lot of things here at this time of year between roster, the Giants game, obviously the Pittsburgh opener, and a number of other things,” Belichick said. “We just have to try and work through it the best we can and try to get as much done as productively as possible. That?s what we?ll try to do.”
The Patriots began to make some of those moves on Monday, as they released five players: wide receivers Josh Boyce and Jonathan Krause, tight end Jimmay Mundine; defensive lineman Joe Vellano; and linebacker Dekoda Watson.
Boyce and Krause will be placed on injured reserve if they are not selected off waivers by another team.
One spot where the Patriots still have plenty of hard choices to make is at running back. Expected starter LeGarrette Blount has to serve a one game suspension in the season opener against the Steelers because ofa violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.Jonas Gray has seen plenty of time in the preseason along with Brandon Bolden, Dion Lewis, and James White.
The latter three have had plenty of solid moments through the first three preseason games, giving Belichick a hard decision to make for Tuesday?s cut and on Saturday, when clubs have to finalize their 53-man roster and practice squads.
?It?s definitely made it hard. There are a number of guys that have done that this year in the preseason and they?ve forced us to make some hard decisions because of how competitively they?ve played,” Belichick said.
?I would put the running back position in that (category). Those guys have all competed well, they?ve all improved, they?ve all pushed each other, they?ve all worked really hard and they?ve all been productive. It?s a good example of that ? they?re making it hard on us.”
Another challenge for the Patriots is the short turnaround time following the finalization of their roster as they open the season the following Thursday against Pittsburgh.
?In the normal situation, you go through your roster changes at the end of the week there, Saturday, Sunday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday ? whatever it is ? set your practice squad on Sunday and then play the following Sunday,” Belichick said. “Now, that will be in the middle of our preparation, so it will be into our Wednesday-type practice day.
?(I?m) glad we?re playing that game. There?s a good reason for playing it, so that?s good, but it definitely complicates things on a number of levels.”
One spot the Patriots were seemingly solid at was fullback thanks to the play of James Develin. That was until he fractured his right tibia in the second half against Carolina on Friday and is expected to be out six to eight weeks, leaving Belichick with a hole to fill in the backfield.
?There are different possibilities; we?ve talked through different options,” Belichick said.
Former Cleveland Browns director of player personnel Mike Lombardi has been key in helping the Patriots evaluate talent through the preseason.
Lombardi and Belichick?s relationship dates back some 20 years when Belichick was the head coach of the Browns and Lombardi was his young general manager during a season when team owner Art Modell announced the team was heading to Baltimore the following year.
?Mike has been a big help to me personally and definitely some of the experience he has, some of the guys he?s familiar with ? guys like Dion (Lewis) and Rufus (Johnson),” Belichick said. “Guys like Dion and Rufus are good examples of guys that there?s very little film on from last year. You can?t see them, but he was familiar with those guys and (Brian) Tyms from the year before.”
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