VETERANS TO WATCH
CB Jason McCourty: An appearance in this game would be a troubling sign for McCourty, who oddly saw time at free safety in the third preseason game. Eric Rowe seems to have separated himself from McCourty in the battle for the No. 2 cornerback job. Does that leave McCourty off the roster? The Patriots have several young options at the position.
RB Mike Gillislee: Seems to be trailing Jeremy Hill in the competition for one roster spot. Gillislee enjoyed his best outing of the preseason against the Panthers last week, ripping off gains of 14 and 9 yards.
“I'm doing all I can to make the team or whatever it is, whether it's here or going (elsewhere),” Gillislee said.
If he plays tonight, he'll have the chance to showcase his abilities for other teams looking for running back talent.
“I leave that up to God, pretty much,” Gillislee said. “It's my sixth year in the NFL. It's a business at the end of the day. But I've put a lot of work in and hopefully I get another shot.”
DE Geneo Grissom: Played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in the 2017 preseason finale. This could be another busy night for the athletic fourth-year defensive end. Grissom, a special teams standout, has played well in the preseason. He tallied two quarterback hits against the Eagles.
S Jordan Richards: A core special teamer, Richards' roster spot seems relatively secure. He didn't play in last season's preseason finale. If Richards receives similar treatment tonight, you can pencil him in for the 53. CB Cyrus Jones: Made his preseason debut against the Panthers and returned kickoffs and punts. Jones' best bet to make the roster is in the return game.
“He made a couple of guys miss on the kickoff return, handled the ball well, showed some run skills, played a little bit on defense,” Belichick said. “Hopefully we'll get more of that this week. He's certainly making improvements on his way back and we'll see where he gets to. It was good to see him out there.”
OT Matt Tobin: He's been the top backup to left tackle Trent Brown. With Isaiah Wynn reportedly out of the season, Tobin seems like a good bet to make the team.