The time immediately following the resolution of the NFL lockout will be hectic for personnel departments, as they attempt to assemble a roster in weeks that normally will have taken months to build.
With the offseason roster limit likely to remain at 80 signed players, the following is a breakdown of where the Patriots' roster stands as the end of the lockout appears to loom:
Under contract (63)
Quarterback (3) -- Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, Jonathan Crompton
Running back (2) -- Danny Woodhead, Thomas Clayton
Wide receiver (8) -- Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Taylor Price, Matthew Slater, Darnell Jenkins, Buddy Farnham
Tight end (4) -- Alge Crumpler, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Carson Butler
Offensive line (9) -- Dan Koppen, Sebastian Vollmer, Dan Connolly, Nick Kaczur, Mark LeVoir, Ryan Wendell, Rich Ohrnberger, Thomas Austin, Steve Maneri
Defensive line (12) -- Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren, Mike Wright, Ron Brace, Marcus Stroud, Myron Pryor, Brandon Deaderick, Kyle Love, Landon Cohen, Kade Weston, Darryl Richard, Marlon Favorite
Outside linebacker (5) -- Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich, Tully Banta-Cain, Eric Moore, Marques Murrell
Inside linebacker (4) -- Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Gary Guyton, Dane Fletcher
Cornerback (6) -- Devin McCourty, Leigh Bodden, Darius Butler, Jonathan Wilhite, Tony Carter, Thad Turner
Safety (7) -- Brandon Meriweather, Patrick Chung, James Sanders, Sergio Brown, Josh Barrett, Bret Lockett, Ross Ventrone
Special teams (3) -- Stephen Gostkowski, Zoltan Mesko, Matt Katula
Unsigned draft selections (9)
QB Ryan Mallett, RB Shane Vereen, RB Stevan Ridley, TE Lee Smith, OL Nate Solder, OL Marcus Cannon, OLB Markell Carter, CB Ras-I Dowling, CB Malcolm Williams
Free agents (13)
Unrestricted (10) -- RB Kevin Faulk, RB Fred Taylor, RB Sammy Morris, OL Logan Mankins (franchise tag), OL Matt Light, OL Quinn Ojinnaka*, DL Gerard Warren, LB Tracy White, S Brandon McGowan, K Shayne Graham
*Ojinnaka was not tendered as a restricted free agent but is expected to be an unrestricted free agent under the rules of the next collective bargaining agreement.
Restricted (2) -- RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, S Jarrad Page*
*Page was tendered as a restricted free agent but is expected to be an unrestricted free agent under the rules of the next collective bargaining agreement.
Exclusive-rights (1) -- CB Kyle Arrington
Reserve/Military (3)
FB Eric Kettani, WR Shun White, WR Tyree Barnes
ROSTER ARITHMETIC 101: In any other season, the Patriots would have the luxury of carrying more than 80 players on their roster while drafted rookies remained unsigned. This season, with likely only a few weeks before the restart of player movement and the start of training camp, look for the Patriots to sign draft choices as soon as possible, bringing the roster count from 63 signed players to 72 signed. ... Undrafted free agents, who were not able to sign with any NFL teams following the draft, will join the team, and will increase the number of signed players by about six. ... Tendered free agents, such as Green-Ellis and Arrington, are also likely to re-sign in time for training camp. ... That brings the roster tally to about 80 players, meaning that in order to sign any other free agents, the team will have to trim the roster.