Every Friday, I will be releasing a Patriots mailbag, so if you have any questions on all things Patriots and the NFL, feel free to ask. You can tweet @sophieewellerr or reply to the weekly mailbag post on the New England Patriot Fan's Facebook page. 

Let's get into your questions in this mailbag.

David Polakiw 

Who's gonna be QB2 by regular season? 

Despite Cunningham's impressive performance during the first preseason game, it appears that Zappe is still the main backup behind Mac Jones at the moment. What could alter this is what occurs in the next two preseason games, with Cunningham and Zappe expected to see more time in the pocket. 

Is Cunningham gonna start against Green Bay or is that still Zappe? 

Since it is the second preseason game, I wouldn't be surprised to see Mac Jones starting for the Patriots to get some time. (This Buffalo Bills also have announced that Josh Allen is starting on Saturday.) 

If Jones doesn't start, I would expect it to be Zappe. 

Justin Pierce

With the addition of Zeke, do you think the Pats will have 3 RBs on the final 53 roster or keep with the traditional 4 RBs?

Based on how training camp has been going along with the late addition of Ezekiel Elliott, I think the Patriots are going to keep with the traditional four running backs. 

Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson have a roster spot locked down, while Ty Montgomery can play both as a back and as a receiver. That leaves one final spot that is between Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris, with Harris taking most of the No. 2 snaps. 

Bryan Lee

Do we expect to see Elliott as more of a fullback? 

Not in the traditional James Develin or Jakob Johnson fullback role the Patriots have used in the past. You may see a few “trick” plays, where Zeke is lined up at fullback, to cause some confusion to opposing defenses but I think if that were to happen, it would only be on a handful of snaps throughout the season. The team has largely moved away from the traditional fullback role, and there is no indication that they’ll return to that with Bill O’Brien. It’ll be interesting to see if they get creative with Elliott, and try to maximize his skill set by maybe tapping into something new, but I largely expect him to be a third and short and red zone option with hopefully a few explosive plays sprinkled in. 

Do you think we'll see the Patriots run 6 deep on receiver? 

At the beginning of training camp I probably would have said no, but now I'm more inclined to say yes. Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Demario Douglas are locks for the roster. The final two spots appear to be going towards rookie Kayshon Boutte and second-year receiver Tyquan Thornton. 

Thornton has been pretty quiet during training camp, but did have an explosive catch on Thursday's joint practice session against the Green Bay Packers. However, he did go down and walked off the field with trainers, so his status is a bit of a question until we know more. As for Boutte, he has really stepped it up in the last few days and is showing off his skill. 

David Cassesse

Why him (Ezekiel Elliott)? 

This answer is simple: Bill Belichick. 

According to James White, Belichick has always appreciated Elliott's skill. 

Former Patriots Super Bowl champion reveals Bill Belichick’s long-time stance on Ezekiel Elliott

Seems this has always been coming.

Glenn Mulno

Most exciting game of the season?

I think for this one, it has to be the Week 10 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, because they are playing in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Most important game of the season?

While all the divisional games are very important, I would say the games against the New York Jets are vital. And that is because with the addition of Aaron Rodgers and Dalvin Cook, the Jets are viewed as not only serious competitors in the division, but also for the Super Bowl. However, the Patriots have a 14-game winning streak against the Jets and victories against them will prove that they should not be looked at as underdogs. 

Outside of the divisional games, I would say the most important game is Week 1, against the Philadelphia Eagles. It is a game dedicated to Tom Brady and will also allow the Patriots to show what they are capable of right away.  

Sam Beatty

Ezekiel Elliott has been on a statistical decline since his 2016 rookie year with an average 6 percent loss in total yards and a 3 percent loss in total carries every season since. 

What will it take for him to return to his best form? Bill O'Brien? Not being the number 1 back?

Expectations for Elliott returning to 2017 levels of production should be tempered. He’s coming off one of his overall least efficient seasons, but was still one of the best RBs in short yardage situations. At this point, that may be his best form. 

History for running backs with 2,000+ touches and on the wrong side of 28 years old is bleak. However, New England tends to get the most out of guys that are in their twilight years. So maybe with a combination of New England’s conditioning staff and working with Belichick/O’Brien will help him to maximize his skill set and see a bit of a career resurgence. 

I’d say that’s more of a “best case scenario”, and reality is Elliott ends up being slightly more efficient on a down-to-down basis than his 2021 performance, but is firmly an RB2. Elliotts best value to the Patriots may be as a pass blocker. He is one off the best pass-blocking RBs in the NFL, and they will likely need to help their tackles this season. Elliott can stand in the pocket and block unaccounted for pass rushers. He can also help chip pass rushers to make the tackles lives easier. They’re undoubtedly a better team with his presence, but his addition doesn’t move the needle majorly. 

Featured Image via Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports