In less than four weeks, the Patriots will cut their 91-man roster down to 53 players.

For once, they should have some hard decisions.

An offseason influx of free-agent and rookie talent restocked the shelves well enough at 1 Patriot Place for Mike Vrabel to stoke real competition at several positions in training camp. The position battles at wide receiver and the offensive line have powered most of the headlines through nine practices. But in the end, the Patriots must make business decisions across the board, accounting for players’ ages, durability, salaries, performance and more at several positions.

That leads us to the roster bubble, home of the last players to make the cut and the first to be left out in the cold.

Here is the Herald’s view of the Patriots’ 10 players sitting on their roster bubble:

Hanging on

WR Kendrick Bourne

Prior to Friday night’s scrimmage, Bourne had yet to catch a pass from Drake Maye in an 11-on-11 setting. He has just one during 7-on-7s. Woof.

No surprise, Bourne is behind the likes of Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and third-round rookie Kyle Williams on the depth chart. On Thursday, free-agent addition Mack Hollins jumped ahead of Bourne by joining the starting offense upon coming off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list for a walkthrough practice. That left Bourne and Williams working with the second-team unit, but let’s be clear: the kid is making the team.

So, with a $5.5 million non-guaranteed salary, does Bourne make the cut as a No. 5 or No. 6 option? Will the Patriots even carry six receivers?

For now, the bet here is yes, considering his past success under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (career-high 800 yards and five touchdowns in 2021) and track record as a typically reliable option. But there’s no question Bourne has slid closer to the chopping block so far in camp.

OL Cole Strange

Foxboro, MA – July 25 – Guard Cole Strange (69) of the New England Patriots fixes his hat as he runs out with his teammates during Training Camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Perhaps no player has tumbled further through two weeks than Strange.

He lost his starting job – at least for now – to third-round rookie Jared Wilson. The coaching staff asked him to be a backup center this week, continuing a position change form late last season; a lifeline to give him a shot to keep himself on the roster. His losses in 1-on-1 pass rush drills have been sound.

Bottom line: Strange has to pick it up. He remains on the right side of the bubble because he’s more athletic than the Pats’ other backup options and could play center. But if he starts to fire bad snaps or botch them like Wilson did before moving to left guard, Strange could be moving to a new team in 2025.

OL Caedan Wallace

A third-round pick last year, Wallace has undergone a position change moving to left guard.

He’s been a staple on the second-team offense, which has struggled at times to create running lanes but otherwise done a better job protecting Joshua Dobbs than the starting O-line has Drake Maye. Wallace’s talent is undeniable, but questions remain not just about his position change but versatility. Ideally, a backup interior lineman can play two of left guard, center and right guard, and as of now we’ve primarily seen Wallace at one spot.

The good news is Vrabel seems happy with Wallace’s progress through the early stages of camp.

“Big, strong, powerful kid, and (we’re) just looking to put everybody in an opportunity for them to excel and a place to compete, which he’s done,” Vrabel said Wednesday. “I would say that he’s been headed in the right direction these last couple days since we put pads on. I think he’s gotten more comfortable.”

Squarely on the bubble

Patriots cornerback DJ James warms up during Wednesday’s practice in Foxboro. He’s turned heads in camp so far. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

CB DJ James

Speaking of splash plays, James has made a name for himself in training camp with multiple pass breakups in team drills and one of two interceptions recorded outside of Friday’s scrimmage. He’s a second-year player and former sixth-round pick who’s flashed decent ball skills. James repped briefly with the starters on Wednesday and Thursday, when he allowed a deep touchdown to rookie wideout Kyle Williams.

RB Lan Larison

An undrafted rookie, Larison took a few snaps next to Drake Maye during Thursday’s walkthrough when Antonio Gibson was absent. Larison has yet to wow in camp, but winning the No. 4 running back job – provided he can contribute on special teams and the Pats keep four backs – has gotten easier with the recent release of Trayveon Williams, a former Bengal.

Larison was a star at the FCS level in college, who signed one of the richer contracts the Patriots handed out to undrafted free agents immediately after the draft. Given a little more time to adjust to his level of competition, Larison could be a riser soon.

S Marcus Epps

A free-agent addition from Las Vegas and Philadelphia before that, Epps signed a cheap enough deal where salary-cap penalties wouldn’t make the Patriots think twice about cutting him outright.

The 29-year-old started for the Eagles and Raiders, but faces a major crunch at safety with Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers and Jaylinn Hawkins ahead of him, plus fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson impressing so far in camp. Not to mention special teams ace Brenden Schooler, who offers an emergency option at safety. Epps may need more splash plays in practice to stick.

Drake Maye tosses 2 interceptions during Patriots’ in-stadium scrimmage

S Dell Pettus

Another safety in a crowded room, Pettus has most often repped next to Epps and Woodson on the second-team defense. He’s fast and a ferocious hitter, both traits that appeal to Vrabel’s defensive staff who emphasize violence at every level. A former undrafted free agent, Pettus made a much less talented Patriots team out of training camp last year, but it would be no surprise to see him on either side of cutdown day later this month.

One thing in his favor: Pettus has experience as the personal protector on punt team, though Hawkins has also handled those duties.

Work to do

Foxboro, MA – July 29 – Defensive end Truman Jones (54) of the New England Patriots during Training Camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

OLB Truman Jones

The Harvard product received a handful of first-team reps on Wednesday, when Harold Landry missed his first practice of the summer. He also started his day with a big embrace from Vrabel, who seemingly has taken a liking to the second-year pass-rusher. Jones is plenty strong and fits the physical prototype the Patriots’ new staff is looking for on the edge, but he’ll need to build on his performance in team periods and keep showing up in 1-on-1 pass rush.

TE Gee Scott Jr.

Quiz time: can you name another tight end on the Patriots’ roster after Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper?

If you said Scott’s name, you have been paying attention to training camp, where the undrafted rookie out of Ohio State has caught more balls than everyone else in his position room. Scott is currently competing with Jack Westover, who performed well in Friday’s scrimmage, 2024 seventh-round pick Jaheim Bell, fellow UDFA CJ Dippre and the newly-signed Tyler Davis and Cole Fotheringham.

Davis and Fotheringham figure to land on waivers in time, leaving Scott up against Westover, Bell and Dippre. Based on his performance so far, Scott should get the nod, but the Patriots could also opt to roster only two tight ends and stash him on the practice squad. It’s up to Scott to force their hand.

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WR Ja’Lynn Polk

The former second-round pick is back on the field. That’s a start.

Polk returned to practice on Monday after dealing with a soft-tissue injury, but did nothing to elevate himself above Bourne, fellow 2024 draft pick Javon Baker and undrafted rookie Efton Chism III AKA his chief competition for a roster spot. Given he’s playing for a new coaching staff, it’s unlikely Polk’s draft status will save him in Year 2. At this stage, the only thing that can do that is the best version of Polk the Patriots have seen yet.

Quote of the Week

“Each team will kind of get the same amount of snaps at the same amount of areas most likely. And I think the scoring will be, like I told the team – (if) you want to complain about the scoring, talk to Stretch (vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher). He’s doing the scorekeeping, so any score-related issues, talk to Stretch.” — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel before Friday night’s scrimmage with modified rules and points-per-play scoring