Who Should The New England Patriots Re-Sign And Let Go?

Nov 30, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) under pressure from New England Patriots outside linebacker Akeem Ayers (55) during the first half at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

LS Danny Aiken: Let Go

The long-snapper has exactly one job, and to me, there were too many errant snaps from Aiken to warrant another contract going forward. I like him as a person, but I would look elsewhere for the long-snapping duties in the future.

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LB Akeem Ayers: Re-Sign

Now that I think about it, I might put Ayers as the fourth most important free agent to bring after Revis, McCourty, and Gostkowski. He is versatile, he appears to have bought into the system, and he came up huge in the middle of the season when Chandler Jones was out with a hip injury. I was surprised Ayers didn’t see more snaps in the postseason, especially in a NASCAR-type package, when the Pats wanted as much pass rush on the field as possible. I definitely believe Ayers should be back next year.

LB Jonathan Casillas: Re-Sign

One thing that stood out to me from the midseason acquisition of Casillas was how great of a teammate he was. Casillas was always positive on the sideline, keeping the chatter up, and always listening to the coaches. That can be contagious on a football field, and I think it will really help this team in the future. In terms of his on the field production, he contributes on special-teams, and can fill in well as a depth linebacker.

FB James Develin: Re-Sign

Develin is an excellent blocker, and while sometimes he disappears from the game-plan, bringing him back is worth it when the Patriots want to go to a run-heavy approach. Plus, he went to Brown.