Patriots cut DE Kony Ealy [update: claimed off waivers by Jets]

[jah]

The only thing that could save this edge group from being the 2011 safeties or 2013 receivers is Wise staying healthy and playing out of his mind for a 4th round rookie.

 

[PatsFan2]

Give it up for Biffins who called it in his Bold predictions Nostradamus???

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

I wouldn't say it's a huge swing and a miss. I'd call it a check swing with the first base ump saying he went around.

 

[PatsFan2]

Well the Carolina HC Rivera was not sad to see Ealy go.

 

[FCB02062]

Clearly, another example of Bill the GM killing Bill the coach!

 

[dafoe2016]

This is starting feel a lot like the 2005 season where we couldn't get within 10 feet of the opposing QB. It would be a real shame if this tremendous secondary was negated by or lack of talent at DE. They still have a long time to figure it out and come up with a solution. Unless something dramatically changes this could be a big handicap going into a playoff game. Getting a little nervous.

 

[TomPatriot]

There's always the remote possibility that the Pats themselves didn't want Feeney.

Or that they really wanted Rivers.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

I think we trade for a DE! BB loves to trade for players that we have joint practices with. Dante Fowler is on the roster bubble, I think we could get him for a 6th rounder.

 

[TennisBallHead]

Belichick is lucky that he has the greatest QB ever to cover for all of his blunders in the draft room and trades.

Maybe Brady will throw it 100 times in this next Super Bowl.

 

[Love The Drake]

I think we trade for a DE! BB loves to trade for players that we have joint practices with. Dante Fowler is on the roster bubble, I think we could get him for a 6th rounder.

P
Sign me up if true
However wheres my Davis fan here Is it Kieonta Davis at d end who was a mid rounder on most drafts and how has Kidder looked?
Also anybody the Eagles cut on the d line I'd take a long look at.

 

[Love The Drake]

Also still no word if Rivers needs surgery or not yet?.

 

[The Gr8est]

P
Sign me up if true
However wheres my Davis fan here Is it Kieonta Davis at d end who was a mid rounder on most drafts and how has Kidder looked?
Also anybody the Eagles cut on the d line I'd take a long look at.

Is Fowler the guy who has had anger issues and recently assaulted a middle-aged man who criticized his driving, and then threw the man's groceries in a lake?

If so, then no thanks.

 

[The Gr8est]

I predict if Ealy gets picked up by another team he does nothing noteworthy for his new team.

If playing for a new contract next year couldn't get him to listen, then he doesn't seem like a candidate to learn from his experiences yet.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

He would not listen to me. It is that simple.

 

[TBR]

I think we trade for a DE! BB loves to trade for players that we have joint practices with. Dante Fowler is on the roster bubble, I think we could get him for a 6th rounder.

Just a 6th for the #3 overall pick from 2015 draft? Has he really been that bad?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

What a fantastic weekend

 

[PatsGuy]

Keep an eye out for the Patriots trading for Fowler! I think a 5th would do it!

He's what? Top 10 first round, 3D year? I know he was out the 1st year but a 5th??

 

[maineman209]

I don't think that the front seven is particularly weak at all in terms of pass-rush potential, or even at the "DE position" taken in isolation (however that may be defined). I'm really not feeling any desperate, "OMG! We're DOOMED!!", need to immediately sign a proven DE/edge-rusher.

BB may yet add a veteran player to the front seven, but likely more for depth, I think, and more likely an OLB-type to possibly replace McLellin (who hasn't practiced in a long, long time for reasons unknown).

In 2016, the Pats kept 4 LB, 3 DT, 4 DE plus two non-contributing special teamers (Grissom and Mingo) for the front seven (13 total players).

Not including Rivers (IR), Keionta Davis (likely Reserve/NFI), or potential PS-types Kidder, Hamiltion, Kilgo, Augusta, here's the "menu" of front-seven players currently on the roster (along with my take on their positional/role versatility):

Branch (NT-DT)
Brown (DT, some edge rush)
Valentine (DT, some edge rush)

Guy (DT/DE)
A. Butler (DT/DE)

Flowers (DE, some interior rush)
Wise (DE, some interior rush)
Langi (DE/OLB - ST), Grissom (DE/OLB - ST)

Hightower (ILB/OLB/DE)
Van Noy (ILB/OLB/DE)
Harris (ILB)
*Roberts (ILB) ... bruised ribs, practicing with red jersey
*McLellin (OLB/DE/ST) .... unknown injury, lengthy practice absence
Bates (LB - ST), Freeny (LB - ST)

That's 16 players.

It seems to me that the Pats can extract 13 pretty solid front-seven players from that list, including covering the ST snaps of Grissom and Mingo.

 

[Ring 6]

The only thing that could save this edge group from being the 2011 safeties or 2013 receivers is Wise staying healthy and playing out of his mind for a 4th round rookie.

Flowers
Hightower
Mcclellin
Wise
Van noy
Guy
Butler
Langi
Grissom

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

They moved out of the second round to get this guy, and it sounds by all accounts that Carolina was glad to be rid of him. First Cooper and now Ealy, that's a couple of big swings and misses.

BTW Cooper is now the starting guard in Dallas, BB didn't even try to recoup anything for either one of them.