New England Patriots 2019: 5 surprise veterans on the 53-man roster bubble
Danny Shelton, DT
With newcomer Mike Pennel and veteran defensive lineman Lawrence Guy anchoring the top of the defensive tackle depth chart, a player like Danny Shelton could find himself on the roster bubble.
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After exploring free agency, the mammoth nose tackle signed a one-year deal to return to the Patriots in hopes of finally living up to becoming the type of player worthy of being taken No. 12 overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Although the 345-pounder was nearly invisible throughout the 2018 NFL season, Shelton finished the season with 21 total tackles in 13 regular-season games. The bright spot is that he did play in two postseason games, racking up a tackle for a loss in the Super Bowl.
That jolt of confidence, along with another training camp with the New England Patriots could just be what Danny Shelton needs to become a consistent contributor with the defending Super Bowl champions.
His size and talent should give him an edge, but young, hungry interior defensive lineman like Adam Butler and rookie Byron Cowart will challenge for playing time and could edge Shelton out on the 53-man roster if he doesn’t bring his A-game in training camp and throughout the preseason.