New England Patriots - NESN.com
It has been very clear this preseason that Mike Vrabel is running the New England Patriots his way, with nary a worry about what past regimes did.
The new head coach has routinely used certain players sparingly, ones who not too far in the past were key members of the Patriots. Kyle Dugger has been relegated to the scout team at times. Kendrick Bourne is having to compete for a spot with the likes of Javon Baker, while Anfernee Jennings has seen a reduced role. Cole Strange fell out of favor last year under Jerod Mayo and doesn’t have a clear spot on this year’s offensive line.
All of which is to say the Patriots have some pieces you would think they will try to move ahead of cutdown day. All have proven useful, if not greatly impactful, players in stretches for the Patriots.
Whether that nets New England anything of consequence remains to be seen. The Boston Globe Patriots reporter Christopher Price on Thursday laid out in his mailbag what he thinks some of the aforementioned bubble players could fetch.
“These aren’t bad players. They’re all capable of playing in the league, and in the right scheme, playing well. I just don’t think they represent a fit for what Mike Vrabel is doing with this team. Given their history and the market, you might be able to get a Day 2 pick for Jennings and/or Bourne. (If you’re a playoff team in need of roster depth, I think Bourne would represent a great add.) Dugger’s contract will make it difficult to move him, but I’ll submit there’s still a place for him in the NFL. I’d take the chance to get Strange through to the practice squad. There are injuries every year, and he would represent good short-term value along the interior if the offensive line has health problems.”
(Click here to read Price’s full mailbag)
The rise of Efton Chism has given the Patriots some of the depth at wide receiver needed to make Bourne expendable. Additionally, the Patriots loading up on defense in free agency is what helped push Jennings and Dugger out.
But to Price’s point, offensive line health is fickle. Strange has had moments of effectiveness, but the reality is Bill Belichick reached for Strange and they’ve struggled to find a place for himself. That potentially is more of a referendum on the Patriots than Strange, and having him as depth could be useful.
In any event, the fact that some of these once seemingly-indispensable players now look destined for other destinations is a sign the Patriots are trying to turn the page from a woeful couple of years.
