FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots' initial 90-man roster figures to still undergo some tweaks in the coming weeks, but for now it is a bit heavier on offense.
Offense: 46
Defense: 41
Specialists: 3
The club's initial rookie minicamp took place over the weekend, which provided the rookies specific coaching attention in a smaller setting. So when the rookies return later this month, that hopefully provides them a foundation as they attempt to catch up to players who have already been in the system.
Here is the breakdown of the Patriots' 90-man roster (rookies denoted with *):
Defensive end (7): Trey Flowers, Rob Ninkovich, Kony Ealy, Derek Rivers*, Deatrich Wise Jr.*, Geneo Grissom, Corey Vereen*
Thanks to a double-dip in the draft with Rivers (third round, 83rd) and Wise (fourth round, 113th), the depth was boosted after losing Jabaal Sheard (Colts) and Chris Long (Eagles) in free agency.
Defensive tackle (8): Alan Branch, Malcom Brown, Vincent Valentine, Lawrence Guy, Woodrow Hamilton, Darius Kilgo, Josh Augusta*, Adam Butler*
This spot looks much the same from before the draft, as the only additions were undrafted free agents Augusta and Butler.
Linebacker (8): Dont'a Hightower, Elandon Roberts, Shea McClellin, Kyle Van Noy, Jonathan Freeny, Trevor Bates, Harvey Langi *, Brooks Ellis *
Langi, an undrafted free agent from Brigham Young, could have easily been selected by the team based on the $115,000 he has been guaranteed. The Patriots pieced it together at the No. 2 spot last year, and one question is if a more steady option emerges in 2017.
Cornerback (9): Stephon Gilmore, Malcolm Butler, Eric Rowe, Justin Coleman, Cyrus Jones, Jonathan Jones, D.J. Killings*, Dwayne Thomas*, Kenny Moore*
One of the notable storylines in this group will be if 2016 top draft pick Cyrus Jones (second round, No. 60 overall) can rebound from a shaky rookie season. The only additions were undrafted players Killings, Thomas and Moore, and of course, Butler's return as a restricted free agent.
Safety (9): Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Duron Harmon, Jordan Richards, Nate Ebner, Brandon King, Jason Thompson*, David Jones*, Damarius Travis*
Richards, the 2015 second-round draft choice out of Stanford, will be interesting to watch from a development perspective after his playing time dipped in 2016 (just 18 defensive snaps) compared to his initial season (239 defensive snaps).
Quarterback (3): Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
The same depth chart from before the draft, and arguably the best in the NFL.
Running back (7): Mike Gillislee, James White, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, Brandon Bolden, D.J. Foster, LeShun Daniels Jr.*
The Patriots thought enough of Foster (2016 undrafted free agent) to keep him on the 53-man roster for most of last season and his challenge for a larger role bears watching.
Fullback (2): James Develin, Glenn Gronkowski
Langi, the undrafted free agent from Brigham Young, also could show up at this spot based on his versatile history.
Wide receiver (10): Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, Danny Amendola, Matthew Slater, Devin Street, Devin Lucien, Austin Carr*, Cody Hollister*
Barring an injury, the top six on the depth chart are locked in. A seventh roster spot at this position would seem like a long shot, but performance, as always, will ultimately dictate.
Tight end (7): Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen, Matt Lengel, Michael Williams, James O'Shaughnessy, Rob Housler, Jacob Hollister*
Competition for the No. 3 spot behind Gronkowski and Allen will be notable to watch, with a handful of players with different skill sets vying against each other.
Offensive tackle (9): Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon, Cameron Fleming, LaAdrian Waddle, Antonio Garcia*, Conor McDermott*, Cole Croston*, Max Rich*, Andrew Jelks*
In a year that was considered down for tackle prospects, the Patriots used four draft picks to trade up for two of them (Garcia, McDermott), then added three after the draft (Croston, Rich and Jelks). That’s pretty aggressive.
Guard (6): Joe Thuney, Shaq Mason, Chris Barker, Chase Farris, Jamil Douglas, Jason King*
This was one spot that could have been addressed in the draft, yet the Patriots didn't land a player, which shines a spotlight on the development of 2016 practice squad players Barker, Farris and Douglas from a depth standpoint.
Center (2): David Andrews, Ted Karras
The same duo from 2016, with Andrews scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the 2017 season. Since he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, the Patriots would likely tender him at the second-round level to protect themselves.
Kicker (1): Stephen Gostkowski
The Patriots sometimes bring in a second leg to limit the offseason/preseason load, but for now, Gostkowski stands alone.
Punter (1): Ryan Allen
The left-footer isn’t facing any competition, although as former punter Josh Miller once said, the team has fallback options on speed dial.
Long snapper (1): Joe Cardona
The 2015 fifth-round draft choice enters his third year working with Gostkowski and Allen.