Going through some of the articles this morning, I came across this article by Dan Pompei of the National Football Post, who filed his usual Sunday notes column.
Reading it through, I found one part of it a little surprising:
Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth might not be long for New England. One day before this story came out by my guy Mike Reiss, one NFL executive familiar with the Patriots ways told me he believes one or both of the big name acquisitions will be cut before the season starts. The front office man thinks coach Bill Belichick will use the controversial players to help control and send a message to his locker room.
Either player being released would surprise me, especially considering the low risk that both players now are after restructuring their deals. As we've seen in the past, it's generally about the value the player brings in relation to the size of the contract, and whether or not he's a good fit. Ochocinco seems to be performing fairly well after a bit of a rough start, while Haynesworth has missed nearly a week of practices.
Belichick recently downplayed Haynesworth's situation, indicating that the veteran may be recovering from some sort of an injury.
Needless to say I have my doubts on this, but it still certainly raises an eyebrow. Obviously it's just one thought by one executive, and whether or not it comes to fruition remains to be seen.
What are your thoughts? Post a comment and let me know if you think either player could be released by the time camp comes to an end.
This is an archived article originally published on
August 14, 2011.
Content reflects the editorial context of its original publication date.
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