One of the NFL’s busiest weekends is upon us: by Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET, every one of the league’s 32 franchises will have cut its roster down to 53 men. This means that hundreds of players are about to hit waivers and the open market over the next few hours. Consequently, there will not only be plenty of releases but also a lot of other transactions: trades, waiver wire pickups, and free agency signings will all take place.

To not get lost in all the craziness, make sure to regularly visit our New England Patriots roster cuts tracker: we will compile the latest rumors, news, and instant analysis here, and also count down to how many more men will have to go in order for the team to bring its squad under the 53-man regular season limit. All in all, the team will have to move 36 of the currently 89 players under contract. There are multiple ways of doing that:

Release

Releasing players is the most common option on cutdown weekend to reduce the number of players under contract: a player’s deal is terminated and he either hits open market if he has more than four seasons on his résumé, or the the waiver wire if he is less experienced than that. After having played in last year’s Super Bowl, New England is 31st on the waiver wire order.

Reserve list

To reduce the number of men under contract, teams can also place players on one of the various reserve lists. Injured reserve the most common one: players that have suffered an injury and will be out for an extended period of time get placed there – and possibly return if they get moved to the list after 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Some of the Patriots’ candidates to be placed are offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn (Achilles) and linebacker Harvey Langi (kidney).

New England also will place wide receiver Julian Edelman on the reserve/suspended list at the cut-down deadline: the veteran is banned for the first four weeks of the season, which means that he will not count against the team’s roster but simultaneously can also not communicate with the team or its staff in any capacity.

Trade

New England made plenty of trades during last year’s roster cutdowns: two players were moved off the team, three others were acquired. While this does not automatically mean that the Patriots will again be active on the trade market this year, it shows that they are willing to use trades to bolster their roster or draft capital. Trades should therefore be expected to happen.

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Patriots releases/departures/etc.

SS Jordan Richards: traded to Atlanta for a 2020 seventh round pick

WR Paul Turner: released

RB Khalfani Muhammad: released

OG Jason King: released

WR Devin Lucien: released

DT Frank Herron: released

CB Ryan Lewis: released

RB Ralph Webb: released

SS Damarius Travis: released

OG Luke Bowanko: released with injury settlement

OT Ulrick John: placed on injured reserve

DT John Atkins: released

DE Eric Lee: released

DT Vincent Valentine: released

WR K.J. Maye: released

CB Cyrus Jones: released

WR Braxton Berrios: placed on injured reserve

RB Mike Gillislee: released

CB Jomal Wiltz: released

P Corey Bojorquez: released

QB Danny Etling: released

DB A.J. Moore: released

LB Marquis Flowers: released

OT Matt Tobin: released

LB Harvey Langi: released

RB Brandon Bolden: released

WR Riley McCarron: released

TE Will Tye: released with injury designation

OL Cole Croston: released

RB Kenneth Farrow: released

OL James Ferentz: released

DT Trent Harris: released

FB Henry Poggi: released

OL Brian Schwenke: released

OT Isaiah Wynn: placed on injured reserve

LB Christian Sam: placed on injured reserve

WR Julian Edelman: placed on reserve/suspended list

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Patriots acquisitions

None so far.

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Patriots cut-down tracker

August 31 moves

New England has traded former second-round draft pick Jordan Richards to the Atlanta Falcons. The Patriots now have 88 players on their roster.

New England has released wide receiver Paul Turner, who has had a quiet preseason and training camp. The Patriots now have 87 players on their roster.

New England has released running back Khalfani Muhammad, who was recently signed to the team. The Patriots now have 86 players on their roster.

New England has released offensive lineman Jason King. The Patriots now have 85 players on their roster.

New England announces the release of cornerback Ryan Lewis, wide receiver Devin Lucien, and defensive tackle Frank Herron. The Patriots now have 82 players on their roster.

September 1 moves

New England has released running back Ralph Webb. The Patriots now have 81 players on their roster.

New England has released strong safety Damarius Travis and offensive guard Luke Bowanko. Bowanko is dealing with a foot injury and received a settlement. The Patriots now have 79 players on their roster.

New England is expected to place offensive tackle Ulrick John on injured reserve. He tore a tendon in his foot in the final preseason game. The Patriots now have 78 players on their roster.

New England has released defensive tackle John Atkins. The undrafted rookie was a long shot to make the team. The Patriots now have 77 players on their roster.

New England has released defensive edge Eric Lee. A mid-season addition last year, Lee had a quiet summer. The Patriots now have 76 players on their roster.

New England has released defensive tackle Vincent Valentine. The former third-round draft pick spent all of 2017 on injured reserve. The Patriots now have 75 players on their roster.

New England is expected to place tight end Ryan Izzo on injured reserve. The Patriots now have 74 players on their roster.

New England has released wide receiver K.J. Maye. A late free agency signing, he was not expected to make the team in the first place. The Patriots now have 73 players on their roster.

New England has released cornerback Cyrus Jones. The former second-round pick spent all of 2017 on injured reserve. The Patriots now have 72 players on their roster.

New England will place wide receiver Braxton Berrios on injured reserve. The undrafted rookie was fighting for a spot as a depth wideout and punt returner. The Patriots now have 71 players on their roster.

New England has released running back Mike Gillislee, only one year after acquiring him as a restricted free agent. The Patriots now have 70 players on their roster.

New England has released cornerback Jomal Wiltz, who was seen as a longshot to make the Patriots’ deep defensive backfield. The Patriots now have 69 players on their roster.

New England has released punter Corey Bojorquez. The rookie did not play a single snap during the preseason. The Patriots now have 68 players on their roster.

New England has released quarterback Danny Etling after an inconsistent training camp and preseason. The Patriots now have 67 players on their roster.

New England has released safety A.J. Moore, who was a candidate to fill Jordan Richards’ spot on the team. The Patriots now have 66 players on their roster.

New England has released linebacker Marquis Flowers. The primary special teamer had a quiet training camp and preseason after an encouraging 2017 campaign. The Patriots now have 65 players on their roster.

New England has released offensive tackle Matt Tobin, who was a candidate to win the fourth offensive tackle spot. The Patriots now have 64 players on their roster.

Five players on the roster bubble have reportedly made the team: CB Jason McCourty, CB J.C. Jackson, CB Keion Crossen, DE Keionta Davis, OC Ted Karras.

New England has released linebacker Harvey Langi, who is reportedly expected to be signed to the Patriots’ practice squad. The Patriots now have 63 players on their roster.

New England has released running back Brandon Bolden and wide receiver Riley McCarron – two minor surprises considering the composition of New England’s current roster. The Patriots now have 61 players on their roster.

New England has released tight end Will Tye with an injury designation. The Patriots now have 60 players on their roster.

New England announces the releases of Cole Croston, Kenneth Farrow, James Ferentz, Trent Harris, Henry Poggi and Brian Schwenke. Ryan Izzo is not on the list of cuts, which means that the Patriots have kept him on the active team for now. The Patriots now have 55 players on their roster.

New England has placed offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and linebacker Christian Sam on injured reserve. The Patriots now have 53 players on their roster.

New England has placed wide receiver Julian Edelman on the reserve/suspended list. The Patriots now have 52 players on their roster.

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Patriots waiver wire, practice squad moves

For all the moves New England made after the cutdown deadline, please make sure to follow our waiver wire and practice squad tracker: