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New England Patriots: 5 Surprise Players That Could Potentially Be Cut In Preseason
Five New England Patriots Players Who Could Be Cut Before The Start Of The Season
With less than a month until final roster cuts are due, NFL teams will have to start making roster cuts soon. Not every cut will be a player that is worthless, and teams cut potential Pro Bowl players every single year around this time. Sometimes, teams want to keep certain players, but they do not have the luxury to do so. The only alternative is then to cut that particular player. The reason for the cut could be anything from a money issue, a roster being full, or as a result of an injury.
The saying that "you can't keep everyone" is used a lot this time of year and it definitely holds true. Every team, including the Patriots, needs to trim their roster down to 53 players by the end of August. With the New England Patriots having a plethora of running backs, safeties and wide receivers, some of which have been underwhelming, one can expect that roster cuts could come in bunches at those positions. These players may have either been ineffective, been hurt the majority of the time, or have a lot of talent ahead of them for that position's depth chart.
Please note that these cuts are a prediction and that I have no inside information regarding the team or their personnel decisions. I am simply using what I know about the depth chart to come up with a solid hypothesis. With that being said, here are a few Patriots' players that could get the axe before the start of the season.
5. Tavon Wilson
When Wilson was drafted in the 2012 draft in the second round. many talent evaluators and fans were left scratching their heads. The Patriots saw a guy that could contribute, helping out a defense that struggled against the pass. Now, a year later, the Patriots have signed multiple safeties this offseason to compete with him for a starting job. With the presence of guys like Steve Gregory, Duron Harmon and Adrian Wilson, Tavon may be a casualty on the Patriots' roster based on the depth they already have at safety. If that is indeed the case, Wilson will have been cut from the roster after only one season with the team.
4. Dane Fletcher
This one may not come as much of a surprise, but Fletcher has always been a dependable player for the Patriots. Before his injury, he was a guy that could do a little bit of everything. He could stop the run, defend the pass pretty well, and would register a sack or two per season. The problem is that the Patriots have remodeled their linebacker position, and coming of an ACL injury, he may have lost his spot on the team in 2013. If he makes the team, he will probably be a lesser part of a rotation at linebacker in the best-case scenario.
3. Michael Jenkins
When the Patriots signed Jenkins, they thought they had a veteran receiver that was very sure-handed. They were aware at the time that he wasn't very fast, but they had no way of knowing whether he could catch passes from Tom Brady. So far in camp, Jenkins has struggled mightily catching the football. Unfortunately for him, he is of no use to the Patriots if he cannot catch the football. This is because his hands and route-running are the only true assets that he possesses. If he can't catch the football for Brady, he will be out of Foxboro sooner rather than later.
2. Brandon Bolden
When Bolden first came to New England, he was considered a carbon copy of Benjarvus Green-Ellis. What the Patriots got, however, was a player who was hurt frequently and was hit with a suspension for Adderall. With the additions of Leon Washington and Legarrette Blount, along with Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, the Patriots may not want to keep five running backs on their roster. With that in mind, Bolden needs to stay healthy and be productive this preseason, or he could get the axe before final roster cuts are due at the end of August.
1. Jake Bequette
As a third-round pick in 2012, Bequette was thought to be a big solution to the pass rush woes that plagued the Patriots for years. Instead, he played very sparingly as just a special team contributor. With Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunningham and Michael Buchanan all competing with him for playing time, Bequette's time to impress could be closing. It might be hard to believe that the team would let go of him after just one year, but the depth the team has at the position could ultimately lead to his release. If he does not impress throughout camp and the preseason alike, the Patriots may decide to let him go.
