The New England Patriots have waived former 2014 first round pick Dominique Easley after only two seasons with the franchise. The 23-year-old defensive tackle suffered from multiple injuries, including chronic knee issues, that helped put him on injured reserve in his first two seasons in the league.
Easley has been injury prone, but still, to see him go after such a short period of time is seemingly baffling. He was also thought to be somewhat of a team cancer after disrespecting several coaches and players with the Patriots. Now, he will have to hope that he gets picked up by another franchise.
Easley will cost the Patriots around $400,000 in dead money if no team signs the injury prone defensive tackle. During his time with the Patriots, Easley recorded three starts, 22 games played, 25 combined tackles, three sacks, a pass defense and an interception.
New England will seemingly have the depth at the defensive line covered, as they have added former Washington Redskins defensive end Frank Kearse, who is only 27, and Chris Long to help bolster this pass rush and provide some depth on the defensive side of the ball.
Long was surprisingly released by the Los Angeles Rams to make room for younger talent. The Patriots also signed wide receiver Nate Washington from the Houston Texans, which will not only add some depth to this wide receiving corps, but also provide solid veteran production.
Washington suffered several lingering injuries that kept him off of the field for quite some time. However, he should bounce back with this pass-heavy Patriots offense. They also acquired free agent running back Donald Brown, even though perennial Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount is still a free agent.
New England signed Shea McClellin from the Chicago Bears to help the Patriots stop the run and generate some pressure. McClellin is just one of the many defensive players that the Patriots have picked up during this chaotic free agent period. The only other linebacker that the Patriots picked up was Ramon Humber from the New Orleans Saints, as he was one of the few bright spots in what was otherwise a struggling defensive unit.
Humber is just a depth addition, as the Patriots will be missing a first round pick during the 2016 NFL Draft thanks to their involvement in the Deflategate scandal. They do need help along the offensive line, and Cody Whitehair or Joshua Garnett could be available for them with one of their second round picks.
Running back and wide receiver are also positions of concern, but the Patriots could find solid production from a playmaker such as running backs Derrick Henry or Devontae Booker; even wide receivers such as Braxton Miller or Michael Thomas could present an impressive upgrade to this offense. Releasing Easley makes the Patriots a team to look at for taking the top defensive tackle on the board, and that could very well be Robert Nkemdiche.
