The Patriots have just one preseason game left, though a lot of the team's regulars aren't expected to play given the short week ahead of Thursday's exhibition finale against the New York Giants. That will mean a lot of playing time for players who find themselves on New England's roster bubble.

But for some, the writing may already be on the wall. At the forefront of that group is veteran safety Kyle Dugger, who was on the field until the final whistle in Saturday's preseason win over the Vikings in Minnesota. 

Dugger has struggled to find his fit in Mike Vrabel's defense and has been repping with the twos in practice. He saw a heavy dose of playing time in the second half Saturday, another indication his time in New England may be coming to an end soon.

What does Kyle Dugger's future hold with Patriots?

Dugger was on the bubble heading into Saturday's game, and then played all the way until the end. He came down with a game-saving interception on the final play, but also nearly fumbled his pick in the end zone, which would have allowed the Vikings to score a last-second touchdown. The veteran tried to do too much on the play and it nearly cost the Patriots.

The near mental miscue aside, the fact Dugger was out there at all is an indication to former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria that Dugger will not be part of the team come Week 1.

"The relevance is [he was on the field]," Fauria said on Sunday night's Sports Final on WBZ-TV. "There is a home for him. But certain things are just set in stone for me. One of them is in the preseason, veterans, distinguished guys who have made a lot of money, when they're in during the fourth quarter when there is absolutely no need for them to be there, they're either being shopped or they're just giving them reps. But they're not making the team."

Cutting Dugger would likely leave New England with Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Brenden Schooler, and rookie Craig Woodson at safety. ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss fought back a little bit, saying Dugger still has a chance to make the squad. 

"He can play," Reiss said of Dugger. "I see he's making plays, coming down hill and on the run blitz."

Will Anfernee Jennings make the Patriots?

The Patriots have a healthy group of edge rushers, and it looks like veteran Anfernee Jennings is making a late push to make the team. While Jennings also played in the second half Saturday, he dominated during his time on the field with three sacks. 

Fauria remembers back to the days of Bill Belichick, who would tell veterans if they were playing in the second half against third- and fourth-stringers, they better dominate. Jennings' big game against the Vikings may have convince Vrabel and Company he should stick around into the season. 

"He's starting to change their mind," said Fauria.   

"I would not cut him. I still think he could help you," said Reiss.   

Harold Landry, Keion White, K'Lavon Chaisson, Bradyn Swinson, Elijah Ponder, and Truman Jones are the likely locks among New England edge rushers, with Jennings coming on strong as of late.

Efton Chism makes the cut -- but is there an injury concern?

Undrafted rookie receiver Efton Chism likely locked down a roster spot with another big performance on Saturday, when he caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Chism shed a number of tackles throughout his big game, which saw him account for 62 of the team's 88 yards on a second-quarter touchdown drive. 

However, Reiss pointed out there may be an injury concern with Chism, who spent time with team trainers after his 12-yard touchdown and didn't return.

"This was maybe a little bit underplayed. He was being looked at by the training staff, and didn't go back into the game," noted Reiss. "Were they protecting him because he had shown all he needed to show? The other part is, maybe they protecting him because of his health."

Vrabel will speak with reporters at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, and will hopefully give an update on Chism's status ahead of the team's practice in Foxboro.