Patriots to Release Alfonzo Dennard

AzorianPats · May 5, 2015

Mike the Brit said:
My interpretation: "they let Revis and Browner go and didn't make a splash for a corner in free agency or the draft because they were happy with Dennard. He must have been injured last season so this season he'll come back with a bang and fill one of the starting corner positions."

It's not even training camp and one of Mikestradamus's predictions has bombed. It's bad news in one way, but how can you not love a coach who will let nothing, nothing, nothing stand in the way of keeping his team focused and disciplined?

Replace Dennard with Butler...

Sicilian · May 5, 2015

Brady_to_Moss said:
If true and he didn't want to buy in..then ya they had to do it...but if they knew this before the Revis situation. Then go harder after Revis no?

It sounds like Dennard wasn't really in their serious plans at all. Too bad, he had the potential to be a real draft steal, but whether it was his attitude or the jail time setting him back (and both could be related), he never showed more than a few flashes.

Froob · May 5, 2015

Dennard doesn't worry me but I have a bad feeling that cutting Browner is going to be looked back on as a big time **** up. This CB corps will get roasted.

old 55 · May 5, 2015

I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out that they tried to Move him unsuccessfully during the draft. If they were still unsure of his buying in at this point, they are right to move on.

Horace's Ivories · May 5, 2015

First Jet game last year - i remember rewatching it and seeing him just not compete at all on a few plays. Small point but who knows..

Nunchucks · May 5, 2015

This is why you have to always be a little bit skeptical of a guys ability to come back from injury.

Patriots starters:
CB1: Butler
CB2: Ryan
CB3: Arrington

The other guys will battle it out.

I really like Butler, but Ryan really struggled last year and I am not sure he will be good enough.

hambone1818 · May 5, 2015

Whoof...kind of a shock given what they have in the secondary right now. By far the biggest question mark going into camp this season will be what the hell the secondary looks like...McCourty back to corner? How do the new kids fit in? Is Butler legit, and can he at least handle CB2 duties if not CB1?

The front 7 better be incredible!

Kontradiction · May 5, 2015

Froob said:
Dennard doesn't worry me but I have a bad feeling that cutting Browner is going to be looked back on as a big time **** up. This CB corps will get roasted.

Agreed. I said as much when it happened and I have still yet to hear a convincing argument for why Browner was let go.

Sicilian · May 5, 2015

KontradictioN said:
God I hope not. McCourty is a MUCH better FS than a CB. There's a reason they moved him back there in the 2011 playoffs and a reason why the secondary got better when they moved him back there midway through 2012. I'm calling it now: the Patriots will be trading for a CB midway through this season.

The funny thing to me about the McCourty back to CB speculation is that even if they're planning on using a lot more zone coverage this year, you still need that great deep safety. I think McCourty would be "fine" at CB, but not good enough to make it worth losing a pro bowl caliber FS, regardless of scheme.

Now if something crazy happens like Harmon emerges as a McCourty equivalent (unlikely), then I'm okay with McCourty moving up.

ZoisKing · May 5, 2015

I'd say there is a fairly strong chance that McCourty gets moved back to corner. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise. He was a pro bowl caliber player there. I'd say he's had the chance to look at why he failed there and has found ways to improve, especially after spending time with Revis.

ausbacker · May 5, 2015

Shocked yet intrigued.

Mike the Brit · May 5, 2015

AzorianPats said:
Replace Dennard with Butler...

They need two starting cornerbacks.

Rob0729 · May 5, 2015

I am shocked about this. I just assumed last year was more about injuries than any other issues.

You gotta think Belichick is going to have something he is going to try to do with either a trade or expecting someone to be cut. But who knows?

BlueThunder · May 5, 2015

Wonder which WR gets to play CB this season ?

Oswlek · May 5, 2015

varjao said:
WTF not even a trade? Damn I wanted Dennard playing some CB snaps, he is a good CB when healthy, looks like he's a headache though

What is the market for a guy coming off an injury who looked terrible last year (for whatever reason) and makes $1.5mm in the final year of his contract?

I didn't expect him to be cut so soon, but I've thought all along that Dennard was a goner if he wasn't definitively one of the top 3.

signbabybrady · May 5, 2015

Sicilian said:
The funny thing to me about the McCourty back to CB speculation is that even if they're planning on using a lot more zone coverage this year, you still need that great deep safety. I think McCourty would be "fine" at CB, but not good enough to make it worth losing a pro bowl caliber FS, regardless of scheme.

Now if something crazy happens like Harmon emerges as a McCourty equivalent (unlikely), then I'm okay with McCourty moving up.

I am not going to say Harmon can be as good as DMac but the real point here is what is better on the field Harmon at Safety or Ryan at Corner. DMac stays on the field.

livinginthe past · May 5, 2015

Perhaps they will be looking at the guys being cut from teams after the draft.

Brandon Carr (DAL) is one guy I thought might be cut and could be worth a 1 year deal.

You would think that any team that selected a CB in the 1st 2 rounds might push a vet out of the door.

It also opens up the possibility of a low round trade like Talib once the dust settles.

RobertWeathers · May 5, 2015

Wow. @andy johnson and I were just going back and forth on him yesterday. If his 2013 numbers translated to this current roster of CBs he'd be their #1CB going into camp.

I was concerned that he'd make the roster as there were rumors of him not being able to play the slot, not playing STs that the $1.5m they owed him made him a bit inflexible.

Obviously it seems to be that Bill thinks he has better options.

Soul_Survivor88 · May 5, 2015

CapSpace=$10,724,549 ‏@patscap 9m9 minutes ago
After accounting for Dennard's release and Harper/Gardner signings now have Patriots cap space number=$10,724,549

signbabybrady · May 5, 2015

KontradictioN said:
God I hope not. McCourty is a MUCH better FS than a CB. There's a reason they moved him back there in the 2011 playoffs and a reason why the secondary got better when they moved him back there midway through 2012. I'm calling it now: the Patriots will be trading for a CB midway through this season.

Yeah this only makes sense if he can do it and you could be right. The only thing I would say is that it could be possible they made the move and then were able to stick with it due to Revis and Talib's presence. And now with those two gone it could be worth a look.

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