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The Patriots sideline will look more crowded Thursday than in past years during the final preseason game.

Previously, NFL teams cut their rosters from 90 players to 75 after the third preseason contest. A new rule was implemented this year, keeping the 90-man roster intact before shaving it to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 2).

Bill Belichick has mostly dismissed the idea that the new rule generates radical changes in terms of deciding which players to keep. In reality, the players ranked No. 75 to 90 likely wouldn’t make the team anyway, barring injuries or other unusual circumstances.

“Whether they’re released last week or this week or whenever it is, I think that’s probably about the same group of players,’’ Belichick said Tuesday. “I don’t really see that as a big obstacle, personally.’’

But the Patriots have experienced the dangers of injury during the preseason. Last Friday, Julian Edelman’s season ended before it started, as he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in the first quarter of the preseason game at Detroit.

The superfluity of players in the final preseason game will lessen the possibility for injury to a key player. Teams will have more than enough guys to fill the field. The fourth preseason game is usually a spectator event for most starters anyway, but the additional 15 players likely ensure this, while also allowing those who are banged up more time to rehab and rest.

Although Belichick didn’t heap praises on the new roster cut timetable, other NFL coaches saw the benefits.

“This is so good,’’ said Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. “This is the way it should have been done a long time, and I’ll criticize openly on that one. This is so much better for our players because they have more guys available to play in the last game.’’

The final preseason game will be the last chance the bubble players have to prove themselves.

Malcolm Butler, David Andrews, and Ryan Allen are three undrafted free agents the Patriots converted to important pieces on last year’s Super Bowl-winning team. Friday’s game could help reveal another unsung player who contributes down the road.

“I’m glad the league did that,’’ said Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid. “I like that rule. It makes that fourth game exciting. The fans can sit there and see the same thing we’re seeing and be able to evaluate the young guys.

“They’ll get a little more opportunity to play there, and I think that’ll make it a better fourth game for the fans.’’

The most striking difference this year will be the amount of free agents that suddenly become available. In previous years, teams could use the period between the third and fourth preseason contests to survey the 480 free agents that were available after the initial roster cut. This year, there will be 1,184 free agents available after the 37-man cut Saturday.

The Patriots open the regular season next Thursday against the Chiefs, leaving Belichick and his staff even less time to survey the massive market.

“Nick [Caserio] and the personnel staff do a lot of work on that,’’ Belichick said. “Obviously, we’re going to have 1,100 players, or whatever it is, released here in a few days, so there are a lot of guys to keep track of. That’s what they do — they keep track of each team and different situations that different players are in.’’

One thing to watch is whether teams keep two or three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Patriots third-stringer Jacoby Brissett, for example, is firmly stuck behind Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo, but he could supplement another team looking for a capable backup.

Change happens quickly in the NFL, and many of the free agents will find new teams shortly after being released. This past Saturday, the Patriots released former Carolina Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy. Within one day, the New York Jets had picked him up off waivers.

Belichick acknowledges that this time of the year is stressful, as he tries to assemble the perfect 53-man team. But the pressure remains throughout the entire season.

“Playing in the National Football League, that’s what you sign up for,’’ Belichick said. “So is there stress in training camp? Yeah, there is plenty of it. There is stress on the coaching staff to get the team ready, to pick the right players.’’

Brad Almquist can be reached at brad.almquist@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bquist13.