Patriots' Projected Winners of Key Position Battles

The New England Patriots' depth chart has been shifted by two events in the last week.

James White's retirement opened up a spot at running back and his departure may also end up affecting two offensive positions.

On Tuesday, the Patriots placed Malcolm Butler and Joejuan Williams on injured reserve. Neither defensive back was in line to start in Week 1, but they could have provided some depth in the secondary.

New England has the rest of preseason to sort out the back end of its roster. With White gone, Ty Montgomery could shift into a hybrid role and be listed as the No. 3 running back. That could open up a path for one of the wide receivers to land an unexpected spot on the 53-man roster.

Shaun Wade could be the biggest beneficiary of the injury issues at cornerback. He has had some good performances in training camp and may be motivated by the latest roster news to solidify a spot on the roster.

The Patriots were lucky to have a replacement for James White already on the roster after he announced his retirement last Thursday.

Ty Montgomery lined up at running back and wide receiver during his time with the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.

The 29-year-old's familiarity with the running back position could shift him into the No. 3 role behind Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Montgomery's pass-catching ability makes him an ideal replacement for White. He has 139 receptions, 1,104 receiving yards and 7.9 yards per reception in his career.

The Stanford product has not had more than 20 receptions in a single season since 2018, but he has also dealt with injuries and not been in the best situations to show off those skill sets. He was mainly a reserve and special teams player with the Saints for the last two years.

Bill Belichick and his staff could swap Montgomery over from wide receiver to running back because of his ability to contribute during pass-friendly situations.

If that is the decision, the New England head coach then has to make the call on whether he can be the No. 3 running back and No. 6 wide receiver, or if he wants to dedicate a roster spot to a true WR.

Pierre Strong Jr. could make a strong case for himself over the next few weeks, but it feels like Montgomery is too natural of a replacement for White to ignore.

Prediction: Ty Montgomery

New England has five wide receivers who should make the roster with ease.

DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and second-round pick Tyquan Thornton should suit up in Week 1.

Unless one of those players gets hurt or is traded by then, there is just one WR spot left to battle for in August.

Kristian Wilkerson gained an edge in the fight for the No. 6 wide receiver spot by totaling eight receptions for 99 yards in the first preseason game.

Tre Nixon and Lil'Jordan Humphrey also had solid nights. The former caught four balls for 81 yards, while the latter had six receptions for 62 yards.

However, Wilkerson's lead in targets, receptions and receiving yards suggests he has a lead going into the second week of preseason.

New England should rely mostly on its depth wide receivers in the next two preseason games to keep the five roster locks healthy for Week 1.

If Wilkerson continues to be the go-to receiver for either Bailey Zappe or Brian Hoyer in preseason, he should be the No. 6 wide receiver on the depth chart.

Wilkerson's only concern would be if the Pats choose to keep Montgomery as a hybrid player or if special teams ace Matthew Slater takes up the spot for a sixth receiver to make way for an additional player to be kept at another position.

Prediction: Kristian Wilkerson

The path to the 53-man roster for Shaun Wade and other backup cornerbacks was made easier by the decision to place Malcolm Butler and Joejuan Williams on injured reserve.

Wade took extra reps with the Patriots defense during Tuesday's practice, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com

While the injury news makes it easier for the 23-year-old and others to make the roster, they still have to perform over the next few weeks to solidify their spots on the roster.

Rookies Marcus Jones and Jack Jones, Terrance Mitchell and Myles Bryant should all receive chances to work into the second-team defense as well in an attempt to find the best possible backups at cornerback.

Marcus Jones holds an edge over a few others because of his return abilities. That may lead to a roster spot for the Houston product but not an immediate role on the field. Bryant could win the slot cornerback role and earn more defensive snaps at the start of the season.

The good news for most of the remaining cornerbacks is that they are closer to making the roster, but their roles will be finalized in the coming weeks.

Wade's increase in action on Tuesday could be an indicator for what's to come in preseason.

Prediction: Shaun Wade (No. 3 Corner), Myles Bryant (Slot)