The Patriots are already staring at a roster squeeze, and Mike Vrabel made that plain after the 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He said the obvious out loud: this isn’t a “very deep team” as the 2026 season approaches.
That’s what makes Behron Morton such an interesting problem.
The seventh-round rookie has played his way into the conversation at a spot where the Patriots already have Drake Maye and veteran Tommy DeVito. Morton was sharp against the Eagles, completing 13 of 17 passes for 129 yards and throwing the 37-yard game-winning touchdown to Nick DeGennaro. He also handled emergency punting duties, averaging 44.3 yards on three kicks.
Morton, a 6-foot-2, 218-pound Texas native out of Texas Tech, has done more than just survive as the 234th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He has looked comfortable in practice and preseason work, and the numbers from his college career help explain why: 71 touchdowns and nearly 9,000 passing yards for the Red Raiders.
For a team that knows the value of taking a shot on a quarterback late - the Tom Brady story still hangs over the franchise for a reason - Morton has moved from lottery ticket to legitimate roster candidate. The way he’s performed makes it hard to imagine the Patriots simply moving on.
But keeping him creates a real domino effect.
If Morton sticks, the Patriots may have to trim somewhere else, and there are plenty of spots where the depth chart looks thin. Running back could be one of them, with Jam Miller, Hassan Haskins and Lan Larison all in the mix for practice squad or roster consideration.
At receiver, Kayshon Boutte is officially gone, but Efton Chism III still sits on the bubble. On defense, the cornerback group behind the starters is not overflowing with options, especially with the Christian Gonzalez contract situation still unresolved, and players such as Karon Prunty or Kindle Vildor could be squeezed.
The Patriots also could use help at linebacker, tight end and edge rusher.
That’s the tension here: Morton may be the kind of developmental quarterback teams usually want to keep, but he’s also the kind of player who might not be active on game day, at least at first. Vrabel now has to decide whether carrying three quarterbacks is worth giving up a roster spot that could go to someone who can help right away.
For a club that already knows it needs more depth, that’s a tough call - and one that has to be made soon.
In Other News...
Patriots Put One Roster Gamble On Jaylen Reed's Fit
The Patriots sent Kayshon Boutte to Houston and brought back safety Jaylen Reed, along with a 2028 seventh-round pick, in a move that says as much about roster construction as it does about the immediate depth chart. Reed arrives as a former sixth-round pick who has done most of his work on special teams so far, but New England appears to see a player whose profile could translate into a longer-term piece for the secondary.
For a team still sorting out how its defense wants to look on the back end, Reed is the kind of low-cost gamble that can quietly matter if the fit is right. His appeal is tied to the traits that might help him carve out a role beyond coverage units, even if there are still questions about how quickly he can handle a bigger defensive assignment. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face Growing Pressure To Finish Christian Gonzalez Deal
Christian Gonzalez is back on the field and back in the middle of the Patriots long-term plans, which is exactly where New England wants him to stay. Eliot Wolf made it clear the team hopes to lock up the young cornerback for the long haul and is prepared to put a record-breaking contract on the table, a sign of how highly the organization values him as it tries to build around its top defensive pieces.
Gonzalez has acknowledged some frustration with how slowly things have moved, but he has kept his focus on getting ready for the season after an injury cost him several practices and preseason games. For the Patriots, the issue is no longer whether he fits their future. The real question is how long they can let the talks linger before the pressure around a deal becomes harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Put Kyle Williams In Position To Matter Fast
The Patriots decision to move on from Kayshon Boutte gives a clearer sense of where they want to go with their receiver room, and it puts Kyle Williams in a spot that should be worth watching right away. Williams has already flashed in the preseason with multiple catches, yards and touchdowns, enough to suggest New England sees more than just a camp body when it looks at the young target.
For a team still sorting out who can stretch the field, Williams has a real chance to carve out a role as a deep threat if the progress keeps coming. He may still be positioned lower on the depth chart, but the Patriots recent move suggests they believe his development can happen fast enough to matter in the early part of the season. [Read more 🡒]