Patriots First Official 2015 Roster: A Lot of Beef in the Trenches, Short on Skill Players

The Patriots have their first official roster of 2015.

Quarterbacks (2): Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo - No surprises with this unit.

Running Backs (4*): LeGarrette Blount (suspended, doesn't count), Brandon Bolden, Travaris Cadet, Dion Lewis, James White - Major surprise with the release of Jonas Gray, especially with Blounts' suspension, but the team is high on Lewis' rushing ability and believe he can contribute as more than just a receiver. Cadet makes the cut to prove his value.

Wide Receivers (4): Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, Chris Harper - Brandon LaFell will make the team after his returns from the Physically Unable to Perform list after the Week 6 game against the Colts. The Patriots are dangerously thin at receiver and are looking to trade for a big outside player.

Tight Ends (4): Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Michael Hoomanawanui, Michael Williams - The Patriots have a ton of beef at tight end and will likely feature plenty of two-tight end sets to compensate for their shallow receiver depth. Williams was acquired from the Lions and will act as blocking depth.

Offensive Line (10): Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Cameron Fleming, Bryan Stork, Shaq Mason, Tre Jackson, Ryan Wendell, Josh Kline, David Andrews - The Patriots have plenty of depth with ten players on the roster, including the undrafted free agent rookie Andrews. This roster is much stronger than last season's version.

Defensive Line (11): Dominique Easley, Malcom Brown, Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch, Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard, Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom, Rufus Johnson, Eric Martin - The Patriots have a staggering seven edge defenders, but all of them stood out enough to make the squad. The defensive line rotation is going to be fierce, but don't be surprised if one of the players is moved to help bolster another position before the deadline.

Linebackers (4): Dont'a Hightower, Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins, Jonathan Freeney - While James Morris was a surprise cut, the Patriots are playing with fire with a dangerously thin linebacker corps. Look for this position to bolster its depth early on in the season.

Cornerbacks (4): Malcolm Butler, Tarell Brown, Bradley Fletcher, Logan Ryan - The Patriots are thin at cornerback, but all four are potential options. Don't be surprised if the Patriots bring in another body at some point during the season.

Safeties (6): Devin McCourty, Pat Chung, Jordan Richards, Duron Harmon, Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner - The Patriots can roll with four cornerbacks due to McCourty's flexibility, but the Patriots have a ton of bodies at safety, mostly for their special teams value. Bill Belichick fiddled around with three and four safety packages during practices.

Special Teams (4): Matthew Slater, Stephen Gostkowski, Ryan Allen, Joe Cardona - No surprises here.