Patriots Player Departure Anfernee Jennings released

Hyped · Mar 11, 2026

Now Onwenu is the longest tenured Patriot…..

bakes781 · Mar 11, 2026

Hyped said:
Now Onwenu is the longest tenured Patriot…..

mgteich · Mar 11, 2026

Ross12 said:
Room is getting thin:

DE/OLB:
- Dre'Mont Jones
- Harold Landry (coming off injury)
- Bradyn Swinson
- Elijah Ponder

plus the draftee who will come in the first 3 rounds

borisman · Mar 11, 2026

Ponder is my breakout player on defense, by a mile.

The Gr8est · Mar 11, 2026

50-yard-line said:
Like others here, I'm confused and suspect something has to be coming.
Chaisson signed for low-mid money elsewhere.
Jennings wasn't expensive.
Tavai wasn't expensive.

Don't get me wrong: I think Jones is better than either of the edge guys - best traits of both and he's bigger and more violent.

But we've watched a couple of top LBs go for middling money. Something's coming.

Chaisson signed with the Pats for one year, and now signed with the Commanders for one year.

Looks like he is hoping he can break out and get paid.

Mack Herron · Mar 11, 2026

upstater1 · Mar 11, 2026

DaBruinz said:
This is perplexing considering that Jennings was the best at setting the edge and, when the Pats had guys go down on the D-line late in the season during games, Jennings stepped in and played some DT.

Guess that means I can kiss any hope of Rodriguez in the draft goodbye.

Yes, I'm scratching my head here. For basically a backup's salary, you had a guy -- the only guy on the team -- who could set the edge. He played a lot later in the year. And he even showed us some new pass rush moves.

So wow -- what could they be thinking? That extra $4m is going to be taken by a backup.

mgteich · Mar 11, 2026

upstater1 said:
Yes, I'm scratching my head here. For basically a backup's salary, you had a guy -- the only guy on the team -- who could set the edge. He played a lot later in the year. And he even showed us some new pass rush moves.

So wow -- what could they be thinking? That extra $4m is going to be taken by a backup.

Jennings was expected to be gone before last off-season. He really doesn't fit. I'm sure Vrabel is glad that we kept him (and also that we brough back Tavai).

It's time for Jennings and Tavai to go.
======
I think that Ponder is the next man up.

Hugepatsfan · Mar 11, 2026

Everyone said Jennings didn't fit last year and he ended up making the team and playing a lot of important snaps. Their DE depth chart right now is exactly the same as it was last season except the lateral move of Jones replacing Chaisson. I guess Jones might have more overlap with Jennings' strengths than Chaisson, but in terms of numbers it's the same depth chart. So I'm just a bit perplexed they'd do this now without an immediate replacement. The only logical explanation is that they just wanted to let him go somewhere else now out of the kindness of their heart because they anticipate eventually replacing him.

ALP · Mar 11, 2026

Da fuq we doin?!?

TommyD4207 · Mar 11, 2026

ALP said:
Da fuq we doin?!?

In this case? Cutting dead weight.

n1997y · Mar 11, 2026

mike_usagisan said:
What do we think about Swinson? They liked him enough to not let him get poached, but he still couldn't get on the field.

Maybe this clears the roadblock keeping him from the field?

n1997y · Mar 11, 2026

Hugepatsfan said:
Odd trend continues of cutting players who are decent depth options at positions they don't have depth at for immaterial cap space they don't really have an immediate need for - both Jennings and Tavai. Vrabel doing right by guys I guess to not string them along, but feels like our depth is weaker than it could be right now.

Pruning. Not exactly cutting dead wood, but trimming guys who have shown what they are, pretty much topped out in their career arc, to make room for youngsters still on the ascent to continue with more chance to grow and show their stuff. Clears space for signing lots of developmental players in FA and as UDFA, as well as draft picks. I like it.

Thelonious · Mar 11, 2026

Thin here, thin there. I have to keep reminding myself we are still early in the off-season. After all, nobody aside from Phil Draft Boy Perry has even begun to obsess over the draft yet. (No ill reflection intended. Phil is my favorite guy on the beat. I like Tom E too, but he grows wackier by the week.)The guys who have left the team are mostly guys good enough for a mediocre, rebuilding team, but not quite the thing for a legitimately contending team. They were better than what we had in the depths of the Mayo interlude. They could actually play the game. But we want something better. Fair enough, even if a little nervewracking.

n1997y · Mar 11, 2026

PATSYLICIOUS said:
Right, im okay with it if we are going to be aggressively pursuing help at the position. Sort of the boat i was in with diggs release and the wr situation

I believe they are aggressively pursuing help at all positions.

I also believe that Vrabes, Stretch, and the rest of the staff define “help” differently than the posters on this board.

I think the staff looks much more at expected future performance, that is what they think they can get out of the players they’re coaching, than they look at past performance. So instead of spending lots of assets acquiring established monsters like Crosby and Hendrickson they’re spending assets including their time evaluating tangibles (size, measurable athleticism) and intangibles (work ethic, character, desire) trying to find prospects that will become the next monster contributors.

So far they’re off to a good start. And it’s lots of fun to watch.

Hugepatsfan · Mar 11, 2026

n1997y said:
Pruning. Not exactly cutting dead wood, but trimming guys who have shown what they are, pretty much topped out in their career arc, to make room for youngsters still on the ascent to continue with more chance to grow and show their stuff. Clears space for signing lots of developmental players in FA and as UDFA, as well as draft picks. I like it.

They will be at 67 players after they complete all their announced moves. That's still 23 spots left. UDFA (and picks) won't be signed for another month. Pruning isn't really needed at this point. There's no need to clear space for signings right now and who knows what the future holds - those signings may or may not be DEs. Just seems odd to me to cut Jennings specifically when he's the 3rd best player we have at a premium position that you usually rotate AT LEAST 3 guys at. Not saying I didn't expect him to end up cut, but this just seems odd timing to me is all.

n1997y · Mar 11, 2026

Hugepatsfan said:
They will be at 67 players after they complete all their announced moves. That's still 23 spots left. UDFA (and picks) won't be signed for another month. Pruning isn't really needed at this point. There's no need to clear space for signings right now and who knows what the future holds - those signings may or may not be DEs. Just seems odd to me to cut Jennings specifically when he's the 3rd best player we have at a premium position that you usually rotate AT LEAST 3 guys at. Not saying I didn't expect him to end up cut, but this just seems odd timing to me is all.

Vrabes is very much a players’ coach. If he knows he won’t be keeping a player he’s going to cut bait right away. It’s only right to give his guys a chance to catch on elsewhere. Wouldn’t surprise me to see some no-name JAG FAs signed to replace some of the departures like Jennings. Vrabel knows Jennings well enough now to see what his ceiling will be here and is comfortable letting him go. IMWT.

PATSYLICIOUS · Mar 11, 2026

n1997y said:
I believe they are aggressively pursuing help at all positions.

I also believe that Vrabes, Stretch, and the rest of the staff define “help” differently than the posters on this board.

I think the staff looks much more at expected future performance, that is what they think they can get out of the players they’re coaching, than they look at past performance. So instead of spending lots of assets acquiring established monsters like Crosby and Hendrickson they’re spending assets including their time evaluating tangibles (size, measurable athleticism) and intangibles (work ethic, character, desire) trying to find prospects that will become the next monster contributors.

So far they’re off to a good start. And it’s lots of fun to watch.

So far so good, agreed there.

We have quite a bit of work but pretty confident we get through most of it.

TheRainMaker · Mar 11, 2026

ALP said:
Da fuq we doin?!?

If you fear you can't replace a guy like Jennings, then you'd have to look yourself in the mirror as a GM and ask what you are doing wrong? Jennings is lucky he even made the team last year.

They don't want to pay a guy $4M who played 33% of the team's snaps and is a worthless pass rusher. These tweeners are high maintenance players that you have to put in specific situations. Vrabel isn't like BB who had enjoyed doing the Chinese fire drill with his defenses post Brady. Vrabel has his own philosophy and wants to build his own team.

Ring 6 · Mar 11, 2026

Jennings is a good football player who doesn’t quite fit the system. Surprised we couldn’t get a pick for him.

Defensively we seem to be making the moves we couldn’t make last year. We wanted better players and better fits but we settled for Chaisson, Jennings, Tavai, Hawkins and got decent play out of them, but now we are able to grab players who are a better fit for the system. They were stopgaps, and should be upgraded (at least by equally talented players who are a better system fit) with the resources we have this year.

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