On Monday, linebacker Tully Banta-Cain was bounced. Earlier today, receiver Joey Galloway got a shoe in caboose, too.
And now word has emerged of two more cuts by the Patriots.
Via the franchise’s official Twitter feed, tight end Michael Matthews has been cut. Also, Albert Breer of Sporting News reports that linebacker Eric Alexander has been released.
Matthews will be required to pass through waivers; Alexander, a vested veteran, becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Breer suggests that Alexander will be quickly re-signed.
I sense a mega deal coming in NE
Maybe Tedy Bruschi is coming out of retirement and they are making room…… nah – players don’t just change their minds and leave their surf boards and tractors behind for the love of the game. Even if they knew they could still play. They would lose all respect of their fans if they did that, right?
This will be a non-story in a few hours. The Patriots are going to resign both Banta-Cain and Alexander to two year contracts that gives them both an extra year, but lowers their cap #’s for this year.
This is a salary cap move.
Can somebody pls. tell me what`s happening??? why are we cutting players????does this mean trade or something??? Honestly i don`t get why we doing this.
Pats are either trading away Adalius Thomas or they’re trading for someone with a big contract that they can’t fit under their cap right now. There is NO other reason to be cutting all these players right now, especially when Banta-Cain has been solid and Alexander is one of their best special teamers.
Something is going to happen, especially when reports are coming out that these players are being told they will be resigned very soon, with extentions, to reduce the cap hit.
I think we are making room for the players to come off of PUP. Brandon Tate and Mike LeVoir. Banta-Cain and Alexander are going to be restructured. My 2 cents.I think we are making room for the players to come off of PUP. Brandon Tate and Mike LeVoir. Banta-Cain and Alexander are going to be restructured. My 2 cents.
Scott Piolo where have you gone?
Pats are gonna trade the first round pick they got from the Raiders for TO and go for it all this year!
SOMETHING is going down. they wouldnt be doing this to resign two fringe players. they are going to make a move, and i think it is going to involve deion branch.
@ darth jay
I may be wrong but I think once you cut a player you take the full cap hit. Certainly for a vested veteran like TBC. If you’re looking for cap room you just sign them to an extension. Give them this year’s salary guaranteed and spread the cap number over 2 years.
Darth Jay has it right that these are cap moves. But he has it in reverse. The Pats have over 5M in cap space. New deals will give these guys more money this year with minimum salary for next year.
Trying to make room for Julius Peppers…
clearing room for Tate and Levoir or whatever the LT is on PUP makes no sense right now…they have THREE weeks to evaluate them…Three weeks to figure out whats up with Light and three weeks to eval Tate…they are def up to something. They dont release their sack leader, a core special teamer and a decent blocking TE/special teamer for nothing… possibly Merriman, T.O., Jackson (unlikely) or Branch or a combo of a few players… stay tuned as trading deadline is t-minus 3 hrs!
Homer Simpson:
“Good practice, kids. Now it’s time for the easiest part of any coach’s job. The cuts. Although I wasn’t able to cut everyone I wanted to, I have cut a lot of you. Wendell is cut. Rudy is cut. Janey, you’re gone. Steven, I like your hustle!
That’s why it was so hard to cut you
Congratulations, the rest of you made the team!
Except you, you and you.”
I say they are going to get Kampman from the Packers and send indoor plumbing to Green Bay.
Its time.
*** This just breaking***
This is not a salary cap move, due to NFL rules all players on the 53 man roster must the trip to London. Seeing as how the Pats will only need 22 players to beat the Bucs they thought they would save some money on airfare….
(Yes, I am a Bucs fan)
watch out for the lions to put a claim on him and any non-vested veteran from any team that gets released. Then they will trade them to whoever needs the players service.