With Monday’s cuts, the Patriots have started narrowing the field in an attempt to get down to 53 before the Friday deadline. With our initial roster projections now in shambles with Monday’s moves, here’s another shot at who is going to survive, with a few practice squad candidates tossed in for good measure.

OFFENSE (25)

Quarterback (3): Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett. No brainers. Mallett continues to mount a pretty good challenge to Hoyer for the backup quarterback spot.

Running back (4): Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Jeff Demps, Danny Woodhead. No changes from last week -- in fact, we’re even more positive about the fact that Demps is locked in on the final roster. Vereen’s injury against the Bucs could play a role in how things shake out here. The Patriots will keep their fingers crossed they can get Brandon Bolden through to the practice squad.

Wide receiver (5): Brandon Lloyd, Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater. Big changes here, at least from our last projection. With the releases of Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth, it looks like Deion Branch is the big winner, at least for now. (It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gaffney return at some point this season if he can’t latch on somewhere else.) Jesse Holley is unlikely to make it through, while Jeremy Ebert appears bound for the practice squad.

Tight end (4): Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Daniel Fells, Visanthe Shiancoe. Fewer wide receivers and no more fullbacks mean extra room for another tight end. Fells is back on the field on a regular basis -- now, they’re just waiting on a healthy Shiancoe. But the moves this week are another sign that the Patriots are going with a tight-end heavy offense. Alex Silvestro would be an intriguing practice squad candidate.

Offensive line (9): Nate Solder, Logan Mankins, Dan Connolly, Dan Koppen, Brian Waters, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Ryan Wendell, Donald Thomas. Still want to see how a healthy Matt Kopa could beat out Marcus Cannon for the role of swing tackle. One other point: If Koppen was going to be cut, it would have been during the first round of cuts -- Belichick has too much respect for the veteran not to cut him early, as he would have wanted him to get every shot at landing another job with another team. Nick McDonald could find a way through, perhaps as a 10th linemen if the Patriots trim somewhere else. His versatility didn’t go unnoticed this summer.

DEFENSE (25)

Defensive tackle (4): Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love, Brandon Deaderick, Ron Brace. While Gerard “Big Money” Warren is a candidate to return, the fact that he and Fanene were both cut solidifies a spot for youngsters Deaderick and Brace. Myron Pryor lands on the Reserve/Physical Unable to Perform list.

Defensive end (4): Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jake Bequette, Trevor Scott. Justin Francis and Jermaine Cunningham just miss out here, as Scott’s experience and special teams background are enough to get him through to the final 53. A consistent and steady final week from Francis or Cunningham could force the coaches into a tough decision. Francis might be tough to get through to the practice squad.

Linebacker (6): Jerod Mayo, Dont’a Hightower, Brandon Spikes, Bobby Carpenter, Niko Koutouvides, Jeff Tarpinian. Tarpinian could be bumped in favor of veteran Tracy White, if he could ever get healthy. Koutouvides’ spot isn’t secure either -- if the Patriots feel like they could get more value at another spot (maybe Francis at defensive end?), they could release him as well.

Cornerback (6): Devin McCourty, Ras-I Dowling, Kyle Arrington, Marquice Cole, Sterling Moore, Alfonzo Dennard. One fewer defensive end allows for an extra corner, which means Dennard makes the final cut. Frankly, we’re still not sure as to whether or not he’ll make an impact as a rookie, but he’s too intriguing a prospect to expose to waivers in an attempt to get him through to the practice squad.

Safety (5): Pat Chung, Steve Gregory, Nate Ebner, James Ihedigbo, Tavon Wilson. With the move of Josh Barrett to injured reserve, we still feel pretty good about this grouping. Like Cole, Ebner’s stock is on the rise. Not to say he’ll be a starter, but for a sixth-round pick who was considered to be on the bubble at the start of camp, he’s played his way onto the roster. Ross Ventrone is likely a practice squadder.

SPECIALISTS (3)

Special teams (3): Kicker Stephen Gostkowski, punter Zoltan Mesko, long snapper Danny Aiken. These three appear to be locked in, but there could be a wrinkle: The Broncos released long snapper Lonie Paxton on Monday, and if Aiken stumbles, Paxton could return.