Few Are Safe in Drake Maye’s Offense As Mike Vrabel Predicted to take Strong Decisions for Patriots Locker Room

The Patriots may have finalised their 53-man roster, but the dust hasn’t settled, not even close. With Drake Maye now leading the offense and Mike Vrabel entering his first season as head coach in New England, the team is bracing for another wave of roster moves. As hundreds of players hit the waiver wire, the team is expected to make tough calls, including releasing current roster members to make room for upgrades. And some surprising decisions may be just hours away.

The Athletic’s Chad Graff reports the Patriots may cut wide receivers and target upgrades in other areas within 48 hours. “The odds of continuing with eight wide receivers (where the roster stands) are small. Expect a multitude of changes in the coming 48 hours. Tight end, linebacker, edge rusher, and offensive line seem like prime positions for the Patriots to prioritize as hundreds of players hit the wire,” the report says.

For the roster cut, the Patriots let go of RB JaMycal Hasty and outside LB Truman Jones, as reported by Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed and ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Hasty logged 76 snaps in the preseason across offense and special teams. Originally a waiver claim in 2023, he played 15 games last year, averaging 23.8 yards per kickoff return and contributing 20 carries for 69 yards, 10 receptions for 59 yards, and a touchdown. While Hasty had rejoined the Patriots during training camp, he will not be part of the team’s regular-season plans.

Despite a solid track record, the Patriots opted to move in a different direction at the position. On the defensive side, 25-year-old Jones was waived after competing in a crowded edge-rusher group throughout August. The 6-foot-3, joined the Patriots practice squad in December 2024 and earned a promotion to the 53-man roster for the finale of that season. The undrafted free agent out of Harvard recorded two tackles across 26 snaps in his NFL debut.

For now, the focus is on building a strong team around quarterback Drake Maye, but the roster remains in flux, with no spot truly safe as the Patriots prepare to open their season against the Raiders on September 7. Despite years of poor drafting that left the Patriots thin across key positions, early signs from the 2025 rookie class offer hope. According to Graff’s analysis, three rookies, Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson, and Jared Wilson, could start immediately, while Kyle Williams and Craig Woodson may develop into future starters. Still, without consistent success in future drafts, roster depth will remain a concern.

The Patriots welcome new faces at the QB and CB positions

The Giants waived QB4 Tommy DeVito on August 26, a decision they made looking at their much-crowded QB room that includes NFL stars like Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston alongside rookie Jaxson Dart. HC Mike Vrabel saw this as the perfect opportunity to draft DeVito since the team was eyeing him after the 2023 draft. Earlier, the QB chose the big blue practice squad over the Patriots as an undrafted free agent.

In the preseason finale against the Pats on August 22, the Giants secured a 42-10 win. A game where DeVito was the lead architect. The QB entered the game in the second half, leading with 17 completions on 20 attempts for 198 yards and 3 TDs. And yet, none of the stats or the game-winning performance could convince the Giants to retain him. Enter the Pats, who came and took him as soon as they saw the window opening.

But this wasn’t the only addition for the team; they also brought in former Rams CB Charles Woods the same day as DeVito. These two are among the many players who now join New England in their 2025 Super Bowl run. With many new faces on Drake Maye’s side, could they change their regular-season narrative and finally score a high they haven’t had in a very long time?