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ESPN Staff Writer- Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
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ESPN NFL Insider- Field Yates is a fantasy football expert and NFL draft analyst for ESPN. You can find him on Fantasy Football Now on Sunday mornings and regularly on NFL Live throughout the week, as well as the Fantasy Focus and First Draft podcasts. A graduate of Wesleyan University (CT) and native of Weston, Mass., Yates has previous experience interning with the New England Patriots on both their coaching and scouting staffs.
By the fourth preseason game, the picture becomes a bit clearer when considering a roster projection.
For example, running back LeGarrette Blount might not have been considered a lock at the start of training camp. But when considering that he was one of 23 players who dressed for Thursday's preseason finale but was held out of action, that pretty much clinches his spot.
Others, such as running back Leon Washington, safety Adrian Wilson and tight end Daniel Fells, fall into a different category. They all played into the second half Thursday night.
There are always some unexpected twists, but here's our best guess for what Bill Belichick might be thinking with this year's roster: