Patriots miss potential opportunity from releasing young player prematurely

Once the 2023 NFL Draft was completed, the Patriots made a lot of moves in signing several undrafted players, including quarterback/running back/wide receiver Malik Cunningham out of Louisville.

He was considered an exciting addition because of his skillset and the countless opportunities his versatility could bring to the team's offense. Given that he went undrafted and the Patriots already had Mac Jones, there was a belief he wouldn't do much as a quarterback, but he was listed as a quarterback on the depth chart from the start of his short tenure in New England.

Cunningham didn't have many opportunities to show what he was really capable of during the preseason, and he was only used as a reliever in one game during the regular season before the Ravens claimed him off the Patriots practice squad.

It felt like a missed opportunity to see what he could do in the NFL, and now Baltimore would have the luxury of exploring alongside fellow former Louisville alum Lamar Jackson.

Malik Cunningham switches positions on the Ravens this offseason - a factor the Patriots failed to seriously consider

The Ravens are taking advantage of the unique player they acquired last season, and it appears they're exhausting all their options in hopes of finding the right fit for Cunningham's skillset on their team.

Because they already have a two-time MVP quarterback leading their offense, Cunningham was likely never going to be anything more than a backup to Jackson, which felt like a waste of his talents. So the latest reports claim John Harbaugh is exploring all possibilities with him and have formally listed Cunningham as a receiver on the roster.

It's a move the young player has openly agreed to try out, as he wants to play in the NFL in any capacity possible. Although he's a bit more limited as a receiver, it makes sense for the Ravens to try it out because, worst-case scenario, it's not a good fit.

They'll have another shot at using him as a running back, even since he was a prolific rusher in college, recording 619 carries for 3,182 yards, 50 touchdowns, and averaging 5.1 yards per carry, which is higher than the league average. That feels like an inevitably better fit, but time will tell.

The Patriots could have utilized a player who wore that many hats last season, with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe stinking up the place every week. Even if Cunningham wasn't going to bring better quarterback play, they could have used him in a unique way to trick opposing defenses or just to help out the backfield.

Unfortunately, we'll never know what he could have become in New England. We'll have to just watch from afar to see how his career flourishes in the AFC North.

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