Patriots unveil initial 53-man roster for 2023 season

The 2023 New England Patriots' initial 53-man roster is set.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots trimmed their roster from 90 to 53 players ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. Their most notable moves were the releases of backup quarterbacks Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham, but there were more difficult decisions where that came from.

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Here's a look at the Patriots' initial 53-man roster after cutdown day.

Quarterback (1): Mac Jones

The biggest news of the day was the Patriots waiving both Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham, leaving Jones as the only QB on the initial 53-man roster. The expectation is that Zappe and/or Cunningham will clear waivers and return to the practice squad, but the Patriots could also look to add one of these available backups.

Running back (2): Rhamondre Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott

The Patriots traded Pierre Strong Jr. to the Cleveland Browns and cut fellow 2022 draft pick Kevin Harris. They also released Ty Montgomery and J.J. Taylor.

Wide receiver (6): DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Tyquan Thornton

Cunningham didn't make the cut as a QB or a receiver. Wideouts Thyrick Pitts and Raleigh Webb were among the roster cuts on Tuesday as the Patriots held on to both of their sixth-round rookies, Douglas and Boutte.

Tight end (2): Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki

Anthony Firkser and Matt Sokol's releases on Tuesday leave Henry and Gesicki as the only players in the Patriots' TE room. This is a position the Patriots could look to trade for ahead of the Sept. 10 season opener.

Offensive line (11): Trent Brown, Cole Strange, David Andrews, Mike Onwenu, Riley Reiff, Jake Andrews, Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi, Tyrone Wheatley Jr., Vederian Lowe, Calvin Anderson

Interior linemen Kody Russey, James Ferentz, Bill Murray, Andrew Stueber, and Chasen Hines were released on Tuesday, while Conor McDermott was placed on injured reserve. Anderson was activated from the non-football injury list, per ESPN's Field Yates. The Patriots traded for Wheatley Jr. and Lowe on Monday.

Specialists (7): Chad Ryland, Bryce Baringer, Joe Cardona, Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler, Chris Board, Ameer Speed

The Patriots are going with rookie kicker Chad Ryland after trading veteran Nick Folk to the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick. They're also rolling with a rookie punter in Bryce Baringer.

Defensive tackle (5): Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Sam Roberts, Daniel Ekuale

Roberts makes the team after an impressive performance in the preseason finale.

Edge defender (5): Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Keion White, Anfernee Jennings, Deatrich Wise

No surprises here.

Linebacker (4): Ja'Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai, Marte Mapu, Mack Wilson Sr.

Joe Giles-Harris, Ronnie Perkins, and Calvin Munson were the odd men out on Tuesday.

Safety (4): Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Jalen Mills, Jabrill Peppers 

The Patriots released 2021 sixth-rounder Joshuah Bledsoe.

Cornerback (6): Christian Gonzalez, Jack Jones, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Myles Bryant, Shaun Wade

Jack Jones' status is worth monitoring as the second-year corner could face discipline for his legal issues. His court date is set for Sept. 15. The Patriots also placed rookie Isaiah Bolden on injured reserve after he suffered a concussion in the team's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.