Injuries always happen and will help whittle a few names off of this list but the Patriots are going to have some intense roster competition:
(NESN's list)
At the end of the position I will give the number of 53 man spots last year - number of current 90 man spots.
QB (3): Brady, Hoyer, Etling. Not as much competition here. -1
Running back (7): Michel, White, Burkhead, Bolden, Gillislee, Hill, Webb. Last year they carried 4. -3
Wide Receiver (12): Edelman, Hogan, Mitchell, Patterson, Slater, Britt, Dorsett, Berrios, Hollister, Lacy, Matthews, McCarron. Usually they carry 6 WRs. I wonder if they increase that to 7 this year given the depth here. Also, thinking if any of these guys could get traded to say the Cowboys or other WR needy teams sometime pre-season. -6
Tight End (8): Gronk, Allen, Develin (Fullback), Hollister, Izzo, Niklas, Wimann, Tye. They had 4 last year including Develin. -4
OLine (16): I think with OLine because many of these guys can play multiple positions that it is easier to list them all out as a group: Andrews, Bowanko, Brown, Cannon, Croston, Ferentz, Garcia, Jelks, John, Karras, King, Mason, Thuney, Tobin, Waddle, Wynn. Another group with a lot of breadth and depth. Last year they kept 8 guys: Solder, Cannon, Fleming, Waddle, Mason, Andrews, Thuney, and Croston. -8
Defensive Tackle (7): Brown, Shelton, Butler, Guy, Valentine, Herron, Atkins. Last year they took 4. -3
Edge (8): Flowers, Clayborn, Wise, Rivers, Lee, Grissom, Davis, Harris. Last year they kept 4. -4
Linebackers (9): Hightower, Van Noy, Flowers, Roberts, King, Langi, Sam, Bentley, Grigsby, Some positional flexability and STs here too. They carried 7 here last year which gives my binkie Sam (who can also play ST) some hope. Typing the name Roberts gave me convulsions. -2
Safeties (8): DMC, Chung, Harmon, Ebner, Jones, Moore, Richards, Travis. Last year they kept 6. Richards might keep his spot. -2
Corners (10): Gilmore, Rowe, JMC, Jonathan Jones, Cyrus Jones, Dawson, Crossen, Jackson, Lewis, Wiltz. Last year they kept 5. -5
Specialists (5): Ghost, Cardona, Allen, Punter Ryan Anderson, Punter Corey Bojorquez. They will keep 3. -2
The most interesting off-season in recent memory in a decade+ of interesting off-seasons is still going strong.