At one patriot place, the times are a-changin’. Beyond a large-scale restructuring of the coaching staff and the addition of a new starting quarterback this offseason, the new england patriots also seem to be prepared to break up with some of their most experienced players. The transactions on monday suggest the same thing, especially when they are considered in conjunction with the full roster. The patriots signed 14 players over the age of 30 on a free pass. Of the 14, two were released, one was terminated, and the other one retired.
When it comes to roster analysis, the age of 30 is a somewhat arbitrary dividing line. One can also look at it this way: three of the team’s 14 oldest players were removed from the roster on monday, with a fourth apparently on his way out as well. Lawrence guy, a 33-year-old defensive tackle, and adrian phillips, a 31-year-old safety are among the players in question. Both were released after seven and four years with the club, respectively. The team seems to be more optimistic about potential cap savings of $5.17 million than having the two veterans on their roster.
Trent brown, a 30-year-old offensive tackle, was not allowed to play before his deal with the nfl was terminated. After an injury-riddled season and concerns about his future, he will enter free agency in mid-march, and his prospects are uncertain. James ferentz, 34, announced his retirement on the day before. This is a situation where the patriots are pulling off the band-aid. Although ferentz’s retirement did not come as a surprise nor did it affect the overall roster, guy, phillips, and brown all played a significant part in 2023 in their respective roles on defense, special teams, and offense.
And they may not be the only departures for their age group. Uncertainty reigns supreme when looking at the ten remaining members. Matthew slater (38) and cody davis (34) are both free agents and candidates for retirement, as is offensive tackle riley reiff (35). Devante parker (31) is coming off a disappointing season, and while his contract structure indicates he will remain in the league until 2024, nothing is certain at the moment. Conor mcdermott (31) and daniel ekuale (30), meanwhile, are not expected to return. That could also be the case with defensive edge matthew judon (31).
