Here are three unexpected players who the Patriots should cut after the 2020 campaign.
While the New England Patriots are still mathematically alive in the AFC playoff picture, their chances of qualifying for the dance seem to fade with each passing week. After last Sunday’s loss to Houston, it’s not a stretch to say that they literally have zero margin for error for the rest of the season.
Given how the rest of the standings look, the Patriots would probably have to go undefeated the rest of the way to make the playoffs. That, or a 5-1 finish while getting massive help from other teams might be able to do it, but we wouldn’t hold our breath in that scenario (though we’ve been pretty lucky for the past, oh, 20 years).
The bottom line is that we wouldn’t fault fans who are already looking forward to the offseason, which is shaping up to be one of the most lively for the Patriots in recent years. Not only will they be flush with salary cap space, but they will also have several burning questions to answer in regard to the future of some players, including free agents.
Patriots lose to the Texans, 27-20, and fall to 4-6. That should cool all that playoff talk around here
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 22, 2020
Given how many tentacles are attached to free agency, we’ll leave that discussion for when we get a little closer to the offseason. For now, however, let’s attempt to highlight three players who have underperformed so far this season that the Patriots should consider cutting at (or around) training camp next year.
3. Julian Edelman
It’s time for Patriots fans to admit that Julian Edelman isn’t valuable anymore.
Julian Edelman is undoubtedly the most high-profile name on this list, and the only reason he didn’t fall higher is because it’s difficult to picture a scenario where the Patriots cut him. However, even his biggest supporters can admit that his age is finally starting to take a toll on his overall effectiveness.
The former seventh-round pick will be 35 by the time training camp rolls around and, other than the leadership he brings to the locker room, we honestly can’t think of a reason to bring him back after this season. After an encouraging opening two games — in which he tallied 13 catches for 236 yards — he compiled just eight receptions for 79 yards on a woeful 38% catch rate over his next four contests before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. He also leads the league in drops since the start of last season.
Edelman will only account for a $6.6 million cap hit in 2021, but the Patriots can save $4 million if they were to axe him. Again, they don’t necessarily have to pinch their pennies in light of their newfound surplus of cash, but it goes without saying that they need an injection of youth at the WR position.
Assuming the Patriots make a play for a bonafide No.1 wideout, we’d have zero qualms with cutting Edelman and rolling with the likes of Jakobi Meyers, N’Keal Harry and Marquis Lee, the latter of whom fans have probably forgotten about, as the remaining options.
2. Jonathan Jones
Patriots CB Jonathan Jones hasn’t lived up to expectations this season.
As noted earlier, the Patriots will pretty much be in a polar opposite position compared to last offseason in terms of financial flexibility. In fact, according to Spotrac, they are projected to have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL with a whopping $69.27 million, so you can expect them to be major players in the free agency sweepstakes.
However, that doesn’t mean cutthroat GM Bill Belichick won’t look to shed some salary if the opportunity presents itself. That means players who are pocketing more than their overall worth will face the possibility of being jettisoned, and, in our eyes, cornerback Jonathan Jones falls under that description.
As things stand, Jones will account for the sixth-highest cap hit ($7.1 million) on the Patriots for players signed through next season. That’s simply inexplicable for a player who is arguably third or fourth on the depth chart in terms of usage and effectiveness. For the season, quarterbacks are completing 67.2% of their passes when targeting him. They also flaunt an elite 94.1 passer rating.
As a result, Jones has received a 63.2 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, which is well below the standards for a cornerback who’s playing 80% of the defensive snaps — let alone a CB in a Belichick defense. The Patriots can save approximately $3 million by cutting the Auburn product and we wouldn’t be surprised if that happens once we get more clarity on the futures of Stephon Gilmore and JC Jackson.
1. Sony Michel
The Patriots appear to have their RB of the future in Damien Harris.
We’ve been advocating for Damien Harris to become the Patriots’ No. 1 running back for what feels like ages now, and it seems like the coaching staff has finally taken their Sony Michel blinders off and recognized the sheer talent they have at their disposal in the 2019 third-round pick.
Despite beginning the year on injured reserve, Harris already has three 100-yard games under his belt this season. He also ranks fifth among qualified rushers with an impressive 5.4 yards per carry. With a deadly combination of power, speed and decisiveness, the Alabama product has proven that he has the requisite skillset to excel as a workhorse RB at the professional level.
That makes Michel, who will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2021, incredibly expendable. It brings us no joy admitting that, but that’s simply the reality of things. Not only has the former Georgia standout regressed from an efficiency standpoint after his promising rookie season — he averaged a lousy 3.7 yards per attempt on 247 carries in 2019 — but his injury concerns have only grown more alarming.
After hardly featuring in training camp following offseason foot surgery, Michel went back on the shelf after Week 3 with a quad injury that has sidelined him for the last seven games. With his injury history in mind, the third-year pro’s chances of lasting beyond camp next year will likely come down to whether Harris stays healthy for the rest of the season.
If he manages to do so and continues to impress, the Patriots should think long and hard about cutting ties with their 2018 first-round selection. There’s simply no need to even approach paying Michel.
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