While most of yesterday's biggest moves involved division rivals (to use the term loosely) Buffalo and Miami, the Patriots made some interesting roster moves. And there might be more yet to come, further streamlining what had been a complicated receiving corps.
Once the 53-man roster is set, players can be placed on IR and brought back after eight games. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe expects the Patriots to make a couple of those moves, with top pick N'Keal Harry a candidate. Harry has been banged-up this preseason, picking up one injury after an acrobatic sideline grab in an exhibition game.
New England cut Braxton Berrios yesterday, viewed as a possible heir apparent to Julian Edelman. They also released Demaryius Thomas, surprising to those who mistakenly placed stock in what happened in the fourth exhibition game, as well as those unfamiliar with the team's long history of taking fliers on veteran wideouts in the preseason and then cutting them loose before the season started. Cameron Meredith was placed on the PUP list, knocking him out for at least the first six games. Maurice Harris was dumped last week. And now Volin thinks Harry will be out of the picture the first half of the season.
Suddenly their top 3 wideouts are Josh Gordon, Edelman and Phillip Dorsett. Jakobi Meyers should be the No. 4, with some chance of developing into a factor if one of the guys ahead of him gets hurt or needs to step away from the game for some alcohol or drug-related issue. And that's it.
If I'm drafting today (and I am!), I'm fairly comfortable with Edelman or Gordon as targets. Dorsett is more iffy (he was a lot more appealing before Gordon got reinstated). Meyers seems to merit a last-round stab, just in case.
Harry is headed for what looks like a lost rookie season.
--Andy Richardson