When Gunner Olszewski joined the New England Patriots after a tryout at rookie minicamp, he was by far the biggest longshot to make the 53-man roster.
Not only was Olszewski acclimating to pro football from Division II Bemidji State, but he also was switching positions from cornerback to wide receiver in the process.
Three months later, Olszewski is one of only two undrafted free agents to last through training camp and the preseason. He was kept on the Patriots’ initial 53-man roster Saturday afternoon.
Now that Olszewski has made the team (for now), how can he find his way onto the field?
“Gunner’s a tough kid,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Sunday morning in a conference call. “He’s improved a lot. He’s shown some versatility. I think he has a long way to go. But if he continues to work hard and is able to continue his rate of improvement, I think he has enough talent to be a productive player for us.”
Olszewski played wide receiver, cornerback, punt returner, kick returner and on special teams units in the Patriots’ final preseason game Thursday night. His most likely path to the game day active roster is as a return-man and on punt and kick coverage units, though he also could be used as depth on offense and defense.
It’s also possible Olszewski could be back off of the Patriots’ 53-man roster if they make any waiver claims Sunday afternoon.
Olszewski was the 53rd man on the Patriots roster Saturday. He initially was told he was being waived before noon. Then, when a trade sending Keion Crossen to the Houston Texans for a sixth-round pick materialized at the 11th hour, the Patriots called Olszewski and told him he’d actually made the cut.
It’s been quite a journey for Olszewski, and one way or another, it’s not over just yet. Clearly Belichick believes he can continue that rate of improvement, otherwise, he would have hit the waiver wire Saturday night along with 23 of his now-former teammates.
