Over the course of NFL training camp and preseason, teams around the league will be looking to shape their final 53-man rosters ahead of Week 1 in early September. With roster spots coming at a premium, especially in the NFL, New England Patriots fans could see some former players shown the door when cut day arrives.
The Patriots have their own tough decisions to make when it comes to cutting down the wide receiver position, but that won't be finalized until after the team's final preseason game on Aug. 21.
Former Patriots CB Myles Bryant Faces Uphill Battle in Texans Camp
With a little over a month until the NFL regular season kicks off, let's check in with a former Patriot and his efforts to crack into a 53-man roster spot after departing New England. Cornerback Myles Bryant finds himself battling for a spot on the Texans roster as training camp heats up.
Bryant was an undrafted free-agent signing made by the Patriots after the 2020 NFL draft. The 27-year-old has had a successful career for those standards, playing in 55 games (17 starts) for the Patriots from 2020 to 2023. He recorded four interceptions, three forced fumbles, 2.0 sacks, and 200 combined tackles as an undersized slot cornerback. He even returned punts during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, tallying 161 yards on 25 attempts.
As the seasons went on, Bryant's ability in coverage got worse and worse. During his final season with the Patriots in 2023, Bryant allowed 62 receptions for 614 yards and 3 touchdowns in coverage, as opposing quarterbacks completed 75.6% of passes thrown his way.
This, paired with the rise of another smaller corner in Marcus Jones, ultimately led to the Patriots not retaining him last offseason. Bryant then signed with the Texans in April of 2024 and appeared in 13 games for the team this past season, including the Wild Card win against the Los Angeles Chargers and Divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In a revenge spot, Bryant suited up for the Texans against the Patriots in Week 6 of last season and recorded three solo tackles. The Texans came out victorious, 41-21, defeating New England quarterback Drake Maye in his first NFL start.
Across the whole season, Bryant recorded 15 solo tackles and three pass deflections. He excelled as a blitzer, with a 64.5 pass rush grade on Pro Football Focus, good for 43rd out of 222 eligible cornerbacks. Another area that Bryant saw success in was defending the run, as he posted a 68.4 run defense grade, finishing 59th out of the cornerback group.
While Bryant is a frisky defender who isn't afraid to come up and make a hit on bigger players, he still lacks NFL coverage skills. This could ultimately be the reason that Bryant is left off the Texans' 53-man roster, as he posted a 56.7 coverage grade in 2024, well below the average grade of 60.
Bryant was re-signed by the Texans in March, given a one-year deal worth $1.75 million. The bad news for Myles is that the Texans added another corner in the draft, which could leave the Pasadena, CA native on the outside looking in.
Texans' Stacked CB Room Will Be Myles Bryant's Biggest Obstacle
The Texans pose one of the best boundary corners in the league in Derek Stingley Jr., and used their third-round selection in April on Jaylin Smith, a corner out of USC. Jalen Pitre is projected to start in the nickel, the position that Bryant occupied last season and in New England. Kamari Lassiter, the team's second-round pick in 2024, will start opposite Stingley, and Tremon Smith is projected to back up Lassiter.
Stingley, Pitre, Lassiter, and the two Smiths are projected to make the Texans' final roster, leaving Bryant on the outside looking in. The 5-foot-9 corner has made some impressive plays as he has gotten second-team reps, but still faces an uphill battle after the draft selection of Smith and Pitre, making the switch from safety to nickel corner this season.
If Bryant is cut, he can still land on the Texans' practice squad or be given a chance by another team in hopes of finding a starting role again. He often plays bigger than his listed size when it comes to tackling, but he has work to do in coverage, like Patriots fans saw throughout his tenure.