In case you’ve been living under a rock, here some news: it’s been an eventful offseason for the New England Patriots. The bliss of Super Bowl glory was short-lived, as about a month after the confetti fell in the Arizona desert, the Patriots’ roster began undergoing serious change. Such is life for a defending NFL champion.
Here at Musket Fire, we want to help you make sense of all the subtractions and additions over the 2015 offseason thus far. When you tune-in to the Patriots-Steelers Week 1 opener in September, there will be some old faces missing, and a bunch of new ones in their places.
To start things off, here’s a list of all the departures the Patriots have suffered in the months since they hoisted the Lombardi, including free agency losses, trades, and cuts. Each of these guys will receive their Super Bowl XLIX rings this Sunday, but will wear a different jersey in 2015.
QB Garrett Gilbert
RB Stevan Ridley
RB Shane Vereen
WR Zach D’Orazio
TE Tim Wright
OG Dan Connolly
DT Vince Wilfork
DE Michael Buchanan
LB Deontae Skinner
LB Jonathan Casillas
LB Akeem Ayers
CB Darrelle Revis
CB Kyle Arrington
CB Alfonzo Dennard
CB Brandon Browner
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Although these players combined for 5,000 snaps in 2014, that is the seventh-lowest net deficit in the NFL this offseason. So take these departures with a grain of salt.
And here’s the players that the Patriots have added via free agency, trades, the draft, and undrafted free agent signings. Note that the Patriots acquired a number of other players this offseason that have since been released, so they aren’t on this list.
QB Matt Flynn
RB Travaris Cadet
WR Chris Harper
TE Scott Chandler
TE A.J. Derby
TE Fred Davis
TE Jimmay Mundine
TE Logan Stokes
OL Kevin Hughes
OL Shaq Mason
OL David Andrews
OG Tre’ Jackson
LS Joe Cardona
DE Jabaal Sheard
DE Trey Flowers
DE Geneo Grissom
DE Xzavier Dickson
DT Malcom Brown
DT Vince Taylor
LB Jonathan Freeny
LB Dane Fletcher
LB Matthew Wells
LB Dekoda Watson
LB D.J. Lynch
CB Brandon King
CB Jimmy Jean
CB Darryl Roberts
CB Bradley Fletcher
CB Robert McClain
SS Jordan Richards
Of course, the additions list is much longer than the subtractions list because at this time of year, NFL teams accumulate players to workout over the summer months.
Stay tuned in at Musket Fire throughout the summer as we break down the influx of newcomers to Foxboro.