Patriots need to explain release of pass rush prospect Nick Coe

The Patriots surprisingly released young pass rusher Nick Coe, a UDFA steal.

If there’s one area the New England Patriots figure to struggle this season, it’s getting after opposing quarterbacks. Their projected starters on the edge leave a lot to be desired, and that was to be expected following the departures of Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy, who combined to record 143 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 25 QB hits and six forced fumbles in 2019.

It goes without saying that the Patriots could use as many pass rushing reinforcements as possible this year, and that’s what makes their latest string of roster transactions so puzzling.

In the same announcement in which New England confirmed the signing of running back Lamar Miller, the team also disclosed the release of defensive lineman Nick Coe, who was signed as an undrafted free agent back in April.

Why did the Patriots get rid of Auburn’s Nick Coe in essentially their first wave of releases?

Parting ways with a player who had the potential to be a disruptive rotational piece on the defensive line is an extremely questionable move from the Patriots.

In three seasons at Auburn, Coe registered 70 tackles, 21 of which came for a loss, and nine sacks. Those numbers obviously don’t jump off the screen, but he wasn’t a regular starter and they don’t come close to telling the entire story in regards to his potential and overall value.

With the Tigers, the 23-year-old lined up at three different positions on defense, including defensive end, linebacker and defensive tackle. What made him such an alluring UDFA prospect was his positional flexibility. The Patriots need as much depth as possible at those same positions in 2020, so we’re really having trouble wrapping our minds around the decision to release him.

New England now has 75 players on the active roster, and the team has been adamant about keeping it at a maximum of 80, which gives them plenty of breathing room to add several more players.

In our eyes, the count should be at 76, and we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Coe finds another home in the NFL before the start of the season.

Once thought of as a first-round talent, Coe was the quintessential undrafted steal this offseason. Now, he’ll be exactly that, for some other team.