Patriots Veteran Called ‘a Lock’ to Make 53-Man Roster

The New England Patriots have a lot of talented players on the practice field but some of them won’t make the 53-man roster. Brandon Bolden is not one of them.

Eight players opted-out of the 2020 NFL season due to coronavirus concerns. Some of these players were released or traded.

Dont’a Hightower, Matt LaCosse, and Bolden are the remaining three. Hightower has earned his spot on the roster. We will watch him win games in the regular season. LaCosse was great at minicamp but he may not make the active roster. Belichick signed Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in free agency. Second-year-pro Devin Asiasi joined the team, too.

Bolden is talented running back and special teams expert. Let’s not forget that he was part of the two Super Bowl winning teams. New England has a crowded running back room, but Bolden has a good chance to make the active roster. Henry McKenna from USA Today believes that Bolden is a lock to earn a spot.

Belichick will give the Patriots veteran running back a spot on the 53-man roster

The veteran running back switched his jersey number from No.38 to No.25, and McKenna discussed the change. He also talked about Bolden’s role with the team.

“Bolden’s been an integral part of the Patriots as a special teamer and back for seven of those seasons and he’s on the latter part of his most recent two-year contract. The 31-year-old will be a lock for the 53-man roster, but this year he’ll be sporting a No. 25 jersey.”

Alex Barth from 98.5 The Sports Hub added Bolden to his roster. He said that the Patriots will keep Bolden, James White, Rhamondre Stevenson, Sony Michel, Damien Harris, and J.J. Taylor.

The Patriots need veteran depth at running back and Bolden can definitely provide that. He offers great special teams versatility, too.

“The two closest ‘bubble’ players are Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor. Bolden’s special teams role could be filled by a number of other players on the roster, but it’s actually his ability to provide depth in the backfield that keeps him on the team. There could be a need for a veteran back if Damien Harris and/or Sony Michel get hurt.  As for Taylor, he showed too much promise last year in his brief stint on the active roster to move on from him just yet. Both Bolden and Taylor are benefited by Stevenson’s rookie status, and the fact the Patriots rarely play first-year backs.”