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Alan Branch says Dominique Easley was not a problem

By Connor Fulton

Dec 7, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tackle D.J. Fluker (76) works against New England Patriots defensive end Dominique Easley (74) during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tackle D.J. Fluker (76) works against New England Patriots defensive end Dominique Easley (74) during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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When the New England Patriots released defensive lineman Dominique Easley last week, reports started surfacing indicating that Easley was a “locker room cancer”. Anonymous sources from inside the Patriots’ locker room gave us the impression that the Patriots pretty much paid Easley to leave.

Why on earth did the Patriots release Easley?!

Well, defensive tackle Alan Branch, who knows a thing or two about locker room ecosystems having been in the league since 2007, disputes these reports. Here’s Branch speaking to the Boston Herald yesterday:

"I definitely don’t think he’s a locker room cancer. There’s plenty of guys that have been labeled like that, and they may be extra in the locker room and all that, but when it comes to Dominique, when he’s in there and he’s talking, he’s always joking around. The guys respect him."

On Easley’s injury rehabilitation efforts (he tore both ACLs in college and ended up on injured reserve in each of his seasons with the Pats):

"This guy was jump-roping for over an hour on one leg, both legs, he was going back and forth. Doing extra work. Most people had seen it on the team, I felt. He’s a tireless worker. He’s going to put the effort in to be a good player."

On Easley’s preparation:

"I’ve seen a lot of young guys at this position in my career, and he was almost a step ahead of guys when it comes to, just preparation and wanting to be a great player and doing the things that he needed."

On Easley’s punctuality:

"Every day we go in there, he’s not a guy that’s late. He doesn’t come to the meetings late. He doesn’t cause distractions in the meetings either.”"

On Easley’s reputation:

"The offensive and defensive line, because that’s where our wheelhouse is, people respect him on both ends. I think he’s a great guy. I was surprised that someone actually put that out there, but from my perspective he’s a really good dude.”"

For more analysis on Easley’s release, take a look at Cyrus Geller’s additional thoughts.

Next: Revisiting and grading Patriots’ 2015 NFL Draft picks

Stay tuned here on Musket Fire for coverage on every twist and turn in the Patriots’ offseason.

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