Patriots DB Receives Interesting Roster Outlook

The New England Patriots have added multiple pieces to their secondary this offseason, signing Carlton Davis in free agency and selecting Craig Woodson and Kobee Minor on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

The Patriots' recent acquisitions have made things rather sticky for some of their fringe defensive backs, and Marcellas Dial is one of them.

Dial made the 53-man roster on the skin of his teeth last season and ended up contributing on special teams, playing in every game and logging 12 tackles and a forced fumble. But with an influx of new talent, where does that leave Dial heading into 2025?

Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit recently published a piece detailing Dial's potential role with New England in 2025, and while he feels that Dial will probably make the team, he certainly does not feel that the former sixth-round pick is a lock.

"Based on his special teams role and defensive offseason usage, Dial is looking like a player who will make a serious push for a roster spot yet again this summer," Buchmasser wrote. "While he is not a lock to make the team, his outlook is favorable — especially considering that special teams coaches Jeremy Springer and Tom Quinn are among the few holdovers from last year’s coaching staff."

The Patriots overhauled much of their coaching staff during the offseason, so the fact that their special teams coaches are still remaining probably is good news for Dial. That being said, New England will have to draw the line somewhere.

Let's say the Pats decide to keep seven wide receivers, for example — which is a distinct possibility given the sudden depth they have at the position. That could result in Dial being left off the roster, as he is almost definitely not someone with notable primacy.