Naturally, when a team makes multiple moves in free agency to upgrade its roster, there will be a few "odd men out." And for the New England Patriots, one of them happened to be a longtime captain.
Ja'Whaun Bentley, a fixture in New England's linebacker room for several seasons, was released last week.
Bentley, who arrived as a fifth-round pick out of Purdue in 2018, played in only two games last year due to a torn pec muscle, and unfortunately, his release was not a shock to Patriots fans.
The Patriots have made several bold moves in free agency, most notably to a defense that was among the worst in the NFL last season. There were several changes to the linebacking corps, with the signings of Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbons, and K'Lavon Chaisson. Additionally, the Patriots have Christian Ellis, Anfernee Jennings, and Jahlani Tavai in their linebacker room.
Patriots made the right call to move on from Ja'Whaun Bentley
Bentley was the consummate team player and led New England in tackles in 2022 and 2023, but the combination of his injury and the Patriots bringing in some fresh blood to the room, along with talk that Bentley didn't fit Mike Vrabel's scheme, ultimately led to New England choosing to move on from him.
Those questions grew even louder when the Patriots brought in Spillane from the Raiders.
Bentley is more of a downhill linebacker who prides himself on stopping the run, and in Vrabel's system, linebackers are coached to be more aggressive and to play the pass just as well as the run. As consistent and viable as Bentley was to New England's defense over the last several years, it was better to move on from him now than to wait until just before the season.
Bentley was due to make $4.3 million in base salary this season, and the move of course had some pessimism to it, particularly from Davon Godchaux. The former Patriot posted on the social media platform X: "It's no loyalty, and it never will be! As a player you always have to do what's best for you!!"
Bentley was a great player in New England, but Vrabel and Eliot Wolf are trying to do what's best for the Patriots going forward.