Three overreactions to New England Patriots' roster cuts after the deadline

The New England Patriots reduced its roster from 90 to 53 players on Tuesday, but made some additional decisions on Wednesday by claiming players on waivers.  

There were some surprise moves, while there were others that were expected. 

So now that the initial roster cuts and waivers claims are done, let's highlight three overreactions about the Patriots 53-man roster.  

A controversial running back decision

Throughout the entire preseason, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo kept saying the the offense was going to rely heavily on the run game. And throughout the preseason, the team had five running backs who were making a solid impact. Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson were obvious locks for the 53, but the question was whether they would carry three or four. And if you're a team that wants to rely heavily on the run game, four would probably be better. 

But in the end, the Patriots decided to waive Kevin Harris, despite the fact that he scored two touchdowns in the preseason. Instead, they kept JaMycal Hasty on the active roster, who also deserved a spot. 

While it worked out in the end, with Harris clearing waivers and ending up back on the practice squad, it was a risk to potentially lose a back who knows the offense and proved that he can contribute in different situations. 

It was worth wondering if for running backs on the roster might be better considering the emphasis on the run game. 

The Patriots safety room is going to be really good

Listen, when Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers are the starting safeties for the team, it's going to be good. Those are two guys who can go out onto the field at any moment and make an immediate impact. But it's the depth in the room that really sticks out. 

The Patriots brought in Jaylinn Hawkins this offseason, who had an impressive preseason and easily earned his roster spot. However, the biggest surprise was Dell Pettus, the undrafted free agent out of Troy. He was the only UDFA to make the roster, but it was because he made plays each and every day at practice and in games. 

This room has a lot of potential and will surely make an impact during the regular season. 

Things look bad for former HC Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick is the best coach in the history of the National Football League. There is no denying that. However, where he has fallen short at times over his tenure with the Patriots was as the general manager. Specifically when it came to the draft. 

In his final few years in New England, Belichick made some controversial decision. He traded up to take Chad Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but the kicker was waived as part of final roster cuts earlier this week. And then looking at the years before, only three players are left from the 2021 and 2022 draft class.