The New England Patriots are entering the 2023 season with hope that they can turn things around after a dire 2022 campaign. The progress that Mac Jones showcased in 2021 as a rookie dissipated into thin air in 2022, setting the stage for a make-or-break 2023 campaign. So far in training camp, the Pats have played like they know the stakes that they face this upcoming season.

The signs of hope have been clear throughout training camp. Replacing the tandem of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as the two leaders of the offense with veteran offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien should yield immediate results, and this defense, which was the most opportunistic unit in the league last year, remains as strong as ever heading into 2023.

Training camp has been competitive, and there have been some interesting position battles developing throughout the opening weeks of camp. While it's still too early to have a true idea of who will and won't make the initial 53-man roster, let's take a look at three players on New England's roster who could end up being surprise roster cuts before Week 1 of the 2023 season.

3. Carl Davis, DT

Carl Davis has had to fight and claw his way to a consistent spot on the Patriots roster throughout his career in the league. Davis spent time with four different teams in four seasons before latching on with New England in 2020, where he ended up becoming a key contributor on their interior defensive line.

Davis doesn't post gaudy numbers by any stretch of the imagination (11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QB Hit, 1 FR), but he's a solid interior lineman who can clog up running lanes and occasionally break through and get to the quarterback. As a situational player on the d-line, Davis has a lot of value, but he simply may end up getting boxed out of a roster spot in 2023.

Keion White looked like a star in the making in his first preseason action, and Daniel Ekuale, who is in a similar spot as Davis, also made a couple of big plays. Davis has a strong floor for New England, but they have players with much higher ceilings than him, and that may result in him getting cut and potentially brought back on the team's practice squad.

2. Jack Jones, CB

There's no doubt that Jack Jones is a talented football player. Jones didn't play a bunch during his rookie campaign in 2022, but when he did, he made an impact. Jones was a big part of an opportunistic defense that forced turnovers and big plays, and he seemed set for a bigger role in the secondary in 2023.

The problem is that Jones was arrested back in June at Logan Airport after he was found with two loaded firearms in his luggage at the airport. This isn't the first legal issue that Jones has found himself faced with, and there's a potential suspension looming for Jones in regards to his latest run in with the law here, and that doesn't even consider the potential legal repercussions he could be facing too.

From a pure football perspective, there's no reason to release Jones, but his situation goes well beyond football. Can he actually keep himself out of trouble and stay on the field moving forward, and even then, what does his role look like in New England's crowded secondary? Jones likely won't get released, but if he does get cut, chances are his off-field issues will be the reason why it happened.

1. Tyquan Thornton, WR

For the third straight season, all eyes are on the Patriots wide receiver corps, which appears to be one of their weaker position groups. However, training camp has been dominated by a pair of 2023 sixth-round draft picks in Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. In the process, that has left 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton as a bit of a forgotten man to this point.

Thornton showed flashes of his potential during his rookie campaign in 2022 (22 REC, 247 YDS, 3 total TD), but he has struggled with injuries early on in his career, and when he's been on the field, he hasn't been all that productive. It's telling that Thornton, who has been suiting up for most of training camp, is getting out produced by Douglas and Boutte right now.

Given New England's investment of a second-round pick in Thornton, it seems unlikely that they would give up on him so shortly after drafting him. But there may be a bit of a roster crunch, with both Douglas and Boutte making serious cases for their inclusion on the 53-man roster. And if Bill Belichick feels like Douglas and Boutte are both the real deal, that could result in Thornton being one of the most surprising cut candidates across the NFL.