The New England Patriots are reportedly waiving wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, according to Pro Football Talk. The Patriots claimed the former Atlanta Falcons wide out after he was released from injured reserve.
Hankerson was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and was medically cleared to play with New England. The former third-round pick in 2011 was unable to produce anything on the field in the short time with the Patriots, and head coach Bill Belichick likely felt that he had enough talent at receiver to carry this team through the post season.
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is listed as doubtful for this weekend's game against the Jets, and wide receivers Danny Amendola (knee) and Brandon LeFell (foot) are both listed as questionable. New England is currently holding onto the first seed in the AFC playoff picture, and a first-round bye would be a huge advantage with an extra week of rest prior to the divisional round.
The Patriots have decided to move on from Hankerson, and it will be interesting to follow if any other teams try to pick the talented young receiver up. At the beginning of this season, Hankerson was proving himself to be a viable second receiving option, but he will need to work on consistency. The 6-foot-2, 211-pound receiver caught 26 passes for 327 yards with three touchdowns in eight games this season and could garner interest from plenty of teams around the league looking for a solid second or third-string wide receiver.
