new england patriots

While the moves at the bottom of the roster continue (bye James Develin), it’s time to take a look at some of the biggest surprises at the top of the roster.

5. Brandon Bolden sticks.

I’m glad, I’ve always liked how he’s run and he’s actually better at catching the ball than Ridley is. I’m excited to see if he can return to the form he had in early 2012.

4. The Pats kept 7 linemen, and are still auditioning rookies at the backup spots, now having two that were not even with the team in camp.

Svitek and Cannon are the only back-ups so any kind of injury, especially on the interior, will cause a lot of juggling. The Pats need Dan Connolly to have a good and healthy season.

3. Undrafted Joe Vellano and new guy AJ Francis are the top two backup defensive linemen. 

This is a bit scary. I liked what I saw out of Vellano in spurts of the preseason. He’s undersized but uses it to his strength when anchoring. There were also plenty of times he ended up on his back. I’m still not sure how much he or his college teammate will see the field. 

2. Jake Bequette and Michael Buchanan are the top two backup defensive ends.

I’m both a little surprised and a little excited. Both should see a lot of snaps and it will be interesting to track their ups and downs. Who’s the first one in for Nink or Chandler? Is it the same one who comes on in the pure pass rush packages? These will be some of the most interesting things to see vs. the Bills.

1. Ryan Allen beat out Zoltan Mesko. 

Like most of us, who’s focusing on the punter battle, aside from maybe Bedard. Cheaper and maybe a higher ceiling put Allen over the edge.