FOXBORO — For tonight’s exhibition finale against the New York Giants, expect the New England Patriots’ regulars to be well-paid cheerleaders while those fighting for playing time and roster spots take center stage.

All NFL teams must be at the regular-season roster limit of 53 players by 4 p.m. on Saturday, and with 76 players currently on the roster, there is a lot at stake tonight for those on the bubble.

(New England received a roster exemption for Asante Samuel because he reported to the team late, allowing the Pats to carry 54 players until Sept. 10.)

There is a lot for head coach Bill Belichick and his staff to consider when trying to decide which players to keep and which to let go: Is there good depth at the player’s position? Should the team try to get younger at certain spots? Can he contribute on special teams? How has he performed in training camp and in game situations? Would he be picked up by another team if he’s cut loose, and could he be brought back to the practice squad on Sunday?

If a player hasn’t answered those questions by now, tonight is his last chance.

“A good performance helps everybody, no matter what they’re doing,” Belichick said this week. “Whether it’s establishing more of a role or a playing-time situation, whether it’s making a roster or a practice squad, I think every opportunity to practice and play is invaluable for everybody — for players that are so called on the team, which certainly there are some who would fall into that category, guys who maybe aren’t as secure in their position. But it’s an opportunity for everybody. I think that should be something that we’d all want to take advantage of; there aren’t that many of them. We only play once a week.”

In New England, being able to play on special teams can often tip the balance in a player’s favor.

“It’s very important. You can look at our roster in the last few years, or even since I’ve been here, and find plenty of players on the 53-man roster who had a significant amount of playing time in the kicking game and had very little offensively or defensively,” Belichick said. “There’s no question that there’s a place for those players on our roster, and they’re important players to us.”

While the chance, although slim, to play for a Super Bowl contender holds a great deal of excitement, the Patriots’ roster before the draft and subsequent undrafted rookie additions was so strong that a lot of players likely realized their days were numbered when they signed with New England.

It is difficult to see more than three rookies making the 53-man roster — the money here is on Brandon Meriweather, Kareem Brown and Oscar Lua — but it is not just rookies looking to fill those final spots.

Players like receiver Kelvin Kight, who was elevated from the Pats’ practice squad last year and contributes on special teams; fourth-year tight end Brian Jones, signed on Aug. 12, and defensive back Dante Wesley, acquired in a trade with Chicago a few days before Jones was signed, all will be looking to stay with New England.

And all of those players are battling unknown opponents, too: the players other teams will cut that the Patriots might be interested in. Belichick acknowledged on Tuesday that there are usually two to three end-of-the-roster guys on other teams New England might take a look at if they are released.

smanza@projo.com