Patriots Predicted to Cut Disappointing Defender

The New England Patriots overhauled their defense this offseason, repairing a unit that absolutely showed some serious signs of slippage last year.

As a result of all of the Patriots' offseason moves, the coaching staff and front office will surely have to make some difficult decisions when it comes to deciding who stays and who goes on the 53-man roster, and Richard Louis of Chowder & Champions has already identified someone who will probably be on the outside looking in come Week 1: defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy.

"Guys like [Milton[ Williams and [Christian] Barmore aren't going anywhere due to their hefty price tags. They are expected to be some of the best players at their position, while they used a fourth-round pick on [Jordan] Farmer," Louis wrote. "Add in that Roy didn't play well in 2024, and it makes things more difficult for him to make the roster. Training camp will be big for Roy but the odds are he won't be around for the 2025 season."

Louis also mentions Khyris Tonga as a player with whom Louis will be battling for a roster spot, but Tonga has certainly been more productive.

New England initially signed Roy back in September 2024. He played in six games for the Pats last season, logging 17 tackles and a couple of sacks while posting a 57.7 overall grade over at Pro Football Focus.

The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at LSU, was originally selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He spent all of one season with the Vikings, managing just eight tackles before being waived last August.

While the Patriots will have to make some painstaking choices in the coming months, releasing Roy may actually prove to be one of their easier moves given what else they have along the interior of their defensive line.