The last time the New England Patriots saw Kyle Van Noy lined up on the other side of the ball from Cam Newton, he relished the opportunity to rub his newfound success in their faces.
After all, it was the day the Miami Dolphins officially eliminated the Pats from playoff contention, ending a season that began with a mass exodus and ended with a humidity-filled whimper in Florida.
Just a few weeks later, missing a playoff berth wouldn’t be so funny for Van Noy, who would go through the same thing after a Week 17 shellacking by Buffalo.
They finished 10-6, but still on the outside of the postseason field looking in. Now, the high-priced Van Noy has been placed even further outside the inner circle.
Yes, just one season into a four-year, $50 million deal with $30 million of guaranteed money attached to it, the Dolphins have deemed Van Noy to be a cap casualty.
And with that masterstroke of critical thinking, Bill Belichick has once again come out on top when it comes to deciding when he’s squeezed maximum value from a scrap-heap find.
The #Dolphins have informed LB Kyle Van Noy he will be released, source says. @CameronWolfe indicated this might be coming. It's confirmed.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 2, 2021
Do … do you think Van Noy still believes he won this breakup?
Hindering a division rival with a brutal contract aside, there’s got to be at least the tiniest sound of champagne popping in Foxborough today, considering how Van Noy emphasized New England’s ouster from the playoff field back in December.
As he said on that fateful day:
"“They kind of schemed us up the first time,” Kyle Van Noy told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “I’m going to keep it real. They thought everything was good…if that makes sense. They were all laughing and joking. We remembered that, and we’re in a different situation than they were. They were basically already eliminated. We just needed to basically finish it, and we did that today.“I think the honeymoon’s over. We got the job done.”"
Van Noy, as you’ll recall, was still hurt by the way the Patriots had celebrated their Week 1 victory over Miami in New England.
We hope he’ll still keep that same sentiment alive during his now-busy offseason filled with trying to ply his services around the league.
Kyle Van Noy seemed to be a perfect fit for the culture Brian Flores was building in Miami. A great locker room guy and a leader on the field. #Dolphins move on after just one season for cap reasons. https://t.co/VwTNK1UuKL
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 2, 2021
Perhaps Van Noy wasn’t as excellent a culture fit as he seemed? It’s doubtful that Flores, the former Patriots defensive mastermind, would’ve been overruled on this cap maneuver.
The Pats schemed him up from a role player to a standout and Super Bowl champion, and suddenly they’re public enemy No. 1? Now, Van Noy doesn’t even get to enjoy more than a season of the contract Belichick earned him. Sorry?
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