3 Patriots Playing for their Jobs in Preseason Week 1

The first NFL Preseason game tends to disappoint fans. Everyone is hungry for football after a long hiatus, and the game only provides a short teaser of the actual starters. But that doesn't mean it's not a crucially important game.

You may not see much of the starters, but what you will see are players fighting to climb the depth chart, or to even save their jobs with the team. The recent shift in the structure of the NFL offseason (cutting rosters down to 53 all at once, rather than in stages) changes the dynamic a bit, but if a player falls far enough behind early you can assume they're as good as gone.

These three Patriots could be facing make-or-break situations in Thursday's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.

1. Bailey Zappe

The buzz around Joe Milton outplaying Drake Maye earlier in training camp didn't actually mean anything for the Maye-Jacoby Brissett situation at the top of the depth chart. But it does mean something for Bailey Zappe.

The Patriots aren't likely to carry four quarterbacks on the roster, and Brissett and Maye's jobs are obviously safe. That means one spot is up for grabs between Milton and Zappe.

Zappe would generally be considered an early favorite — teams tend to favor veterans at the start of camp. There's also something to be said for having a quarterback at the end of the bench with NFL experience under his belt.

But Milton, a sixth-round rookie out of Tennessee, seems to have passed Zappe on the depth chart already. He's a raw prospect, but at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds with a strong arm and plus rushing ability, his upside could make him worth hanging on to.

Zappe needs to be lights-out in the preseason to get the edge back in this competition. If his experience doesn't lead to his outplaying MIlton in live preseason action (especially Milton's first ever apperance), there's not going to be much hope of him reclaiming his roster spot.