3 New England Patriots who won’t be on the roster by opening weekend

1. Patriots who won’t be back: Nick Folk

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are the two primary constants that perpetuated New England’s dynasty, but there’s another overlooked factor that reinforced the Patriots’ dominance. From 1996 to 2019, the Patriots roster hosted two of the greatest kickers in the league: Adam Vinatieri, then Stephen Gostkowski. As Gostkowski’s time in New England came to an end, the Patriots landed on veteran kicker Nick Folk as his replacement.

While in New England, Folk has managed to set the Patriots record for most consecutive field goals at 36 and the NFL record for most consecutive field goals under 50 yards at 64.

From 2020 to 2022, Folk was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week at least once each season. All that being said, the 38-year-old’s position isn’t secure after the selection of Chad Ryland in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Belichick is known for distinctly valuing special teams performers, but considering Ryland’s draft position, it seems that the organization is expecting to utilize him sooner rather than later. Even Vinatieri, who is arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history, saw a record-setting season in 2018 before a precipitous decline in 2019. The cliff arrives quickly for even the most accurate kickers, which is something that Belichick knows from handling other aging players over the years.

Folk, like several other veterans, isn’t attending OTAs at the moment, yet there’s expected to be a battle at camp for the future of the position. If Ryland continues to showcase powerful kicks, Folk may not make the regular season roster.