FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With the New England Patriots standing pat at the NFL's trade deadline Tuesday, let's break down the 53-man roster:
QUARTERBACK (2)
Quick hit: Brady is playing as well as he ever has, with 20 touchdowns and just one interception that wasn't his fault. The selection of Garoppolo in the 2014 second round looks more shrewd as time passes, as teams across the NFL that don't have the backup spot accounted for have paid for it.
RUNNING BACK (4)
Quick hit: Lewis has been the surprise story of the season, with Brady saying on sports radio WEEI on Monday, "It's unbelievable how he's been able to make people miss."
WIDE RECEIVER (5)
Quick hit: LaFell opened the year on the physically unable to perform list, but returned at the earliest possible point and the Patriots have wasted no time getting him back into the top-two mix.
TIGHT END (3)
Quick hit: Williams (176) has played more snaps than Chandler (166) through the first seven games, which few saw coming as Chandler generated buzz in spring camps and training camp.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8)
C Bryan Stork*
G Tre' Jackson
Quick hit: Stork doesn't count against the 53-man roster as he opened the year on the injured reserve list with a designation to return, and is easing his way back into the practice mix. They've been thin at tackle with Cannon missing the last two games, but he is expected back.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (5)
Quick hit: Losing Vince Wilfork made this a position to watch, and it has evolved into a strength at this point of the season. Jones began practicing for the first time Tuesday after opening the year on the PUP list.
DEFENSIVE END (5)
Rob Ninkovich
Quick hit: Jones leads the NFL with 8.5 sacks, while Ninkovich has seemingly played better the more he's on the field. Sheard has been a solid addition, while Grissom has been utilized more as an interior rusher in obvious passing situations. Flowers has played sparingly.
LINEBACKERS (5)
Donta Hightower
Jon Bostic
Quick hit: Collins and Hightower have been an impressive 1-2 punch that contribute to an overall front seven that is versatile, athletic and powerful. Mayo's dip down the depth chart as he comes back from two serious injuries in 2013 and 2014 has been notable. Fletcher began practicing for the first time Tuesday after opening the year on the PUP list.
CORNERBACK (4)
Quick hit: This is the thinnest position on the roster, and the area where the Patriots could have benefited from a trade. But across the league it seemed like a seller's market, as no deals were made at the deadline.
SAFETY (6)
Quick hit: A deep position that helps offset, in part, the lack of numbers at cornerback in some sub packages. McCourty's range has been impressive, while Chung and Harmon have been ascending.
SPECIALISTS (6)
LS Joe Cardona
Matthew Slater (WR)
Brandon King (LB)
Dewey McDonald (S)
Quick hit: A strong group that is led by Gostkowski, who has been setting team (consecutive field goals) and NFL (consecutive extra points) records this season.