Bill Belichick will see if his offseason moves paid off when the Patriots open up their preseason slate this week. The exhibition excitement begins on Thursday night as New England hosts the Houston Texans.
While preseason contests are relatively meaningless for fans, they’re absolutely crucial for the players involved. After all, one preseason game can be the difference between a player making the 53-man roster and playing on the practice squad this fall.
Pats fans have a good idea of what the final roster will look like, but not everyone’s job is safe — veterans included.
Here’s a look at three Patriots whose jobs are on the line in this week’s preseason opener.
Patriots Roster Rumors
1. Nick Folk
Nick Folk has been a mainstay on New England’s special teams since he joined the team in 2019. He’s been consistent for the most part, hitting 89.3% of his extra points and 91.3% of his field-goal attempts during that stretch.
Having said that, Folk’s future is up in the air after an underwhelming finish last year. In his final eight games of the season, the ex-Arizona Wildcat only connected on 81.3% of his field-goal opportunities.
To any fans praying for a bounce-back showing: don’t hold your breath. For starters, Folk turns 39 in November, making it tough to envision a return to form at this stage in his career.
Secondly, New England didn’t use a fourth-round pick on Chad Ryland in April so that the rookie kicker could sit on the bench. Training camp reports have raved about Ryland not looking out of place whatsoever, further putting his veteran counterpart on the hot seat.
On top of that, Spotrac lists the Patriots as only being on the hook for $585,000 if they cut Folk. In other words, if he doesn’t have a flawless preseason debut, New England won’t hesitate to move on from the declining kicker.
2. Lawrence Guy
Lawrence Guy opened the offseason by letting New England know that he wasn’t happy with his current contract situation. Although the dispute resulted in his sitting out of June’s minicamp, he’s participated in training camp while still seeking a new deal.
Guy’s contract situation also makes it a real possibility that the Patriots could move on from him this preseason. Even though he’s started 91 games over six seasons with New England, that doesn’t change how Belichick is known for not rewarding aging players who are past their prime.
On top of that, the team can save a ton of money if they make a surprise cut. Guy only carries $500,000 in dead money if he’s released (per Spotrac), opening up just over $3.3 million in cap space for the Patriots to work with.
At the end of the day, Guy being cut is probably a long shot due to his history with the franchise. Still, the contract dispute means his starting job isn’t 100% safe with hungry players like DaMarcus Mitchell, Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Trey Flowers behind him on the depth chart.
3. Trent Brown
If the Patriots are looking to save some money before the season starts, all eyes should be on veteran offensive tackle Trent Brown.
Brown is coming off one of his worst campaigns to date. The 6-foot-8, 370-pound OT played 1,030 offensive snaps over 17 games for the Pats in 2022, giving up 8 sacks while taking 13 penalties.
For reference, he had only taken 15 penalties with 5 sacks allowed from 2018 to 2021 (41 games).
Brown’s situation isn’t helped by the fact that Calvin Anderson and Conor McDermott have been creating some buzz at training camp. Both men would also be cheaper replacements considering how they carry a combined cap hit just north of $4.3 million, whereas Brown sits at $12.25 million.
Furthermore, New England saves a whopping $11 million by cutting the 30-year-old offensive lineman.
Brown’s Patriots tenure isn’t over just yet, but it’s clear that he needs a strong showing against the Texans to prove that he’s still deserving of a starting job.
In the meantime, make sure to bet on New England’s preseason game at Caesars Sportsbook. New users who sign up through Chowder and Champions’ exclusive link and place a wager of at least $10 will get bet credit back (up to $1,250) if it doesn’t win! Make sure to jump on this promo before it’s gone!
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