Patriots 2016 Free Agency Yes/No: OT LaAdrian Waddle

Claimed by the New England Patriots off waivers in mid-December, LaAdrian Waddle appeared in only one game for the Patriots in 2015. He was part of the answer to the Patriots’ injury bug on the offensive line when he filled-in at left tackle against the New York Jets.

Before coming to New England, Waddle played 30 games for the Detroit Lions, starting 24 of those contests. Joining the Lions as an undrafted free agent in the 2013 offseason, Waddle turned heads by displacing Jason Fox and Corey Hilliard to become the starting right tackle by midseason.

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A December 2014 ACL tear, however, derailed Waddle’s career to some degree. The quality of his play dipped for the Lions in 2015, leading to the team cutting ties with the Texas Tech product. The injuries kept coming for Waddle even in New England, as he sustained a shoulder injury against the Jets in Week 16 that held him out of postseason action.

The good news for Waddle is that he’s just 24 years old, a promising developmental prospect. However, he hasn’t been the same since the ACL injury (you can hardly blame him, weighing 328 pounds). The Patriots would be better off letting Waddle waddle out of New England during free agency and keeping that offensive tackle spot on the roster available for a promising rookie.

Here are some earlier installments of the Yes/No Patriots free agency series we’ve been rolling out this week:

Patriots 2016 Free Agency Yes/No: RB Steven Jackson

Patriots 2016 Free Agency Yes/No: LB Dekoda Watson

Next: 10 Long-term positives from Patriots’ 2015 season

Be sure to check back on Musket Fire each day for analysis on all of the Patriots’ free agents in which we answer the question of whether or not the Patriots should re-sign said player.