2 Patriots Veterans Could Be Surprise Cuts This Offseason

The New England Patriots didn’t play the big game this season. In other words, it’s time for a change. Head coach Bill Belichick will have to adjust his winning formula. Someone will have to go. According to latest reports, the Patriots may part ways with two veterans.

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com reported that New England may surprise everyone with two cuts. He believes that the Patriots may move on from wide receiver and safety Patrick Chung.

“Sanu’s $6.5 million base salary looked like a bargain when the Patriots traded for him, but his rough stretch since then could potentially put his roster spot in jeopardy. Chung, one of Bill Belichick’s favorite defenders, struggled to keep up in coverage last season.”

Sanu arrived in New England prior to the trade deadline. The team traded a third-round draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons for the veteran wideout. Unfortunately, Sanu didn’t live up to the expectations.

The wideout had just 26 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown in his eight games as a Patriot.

New England lost a big name to get him. Will he improve in 2020?

Chung has been a Patriot for 10 of the last 11 years. He was a second-round pick of the 2009 NFL draft. The wideout was indicted on a charge of possession of cocaine in August. The charges against him were dismissed after the end of the regular season.

In 2013, Chung was playing with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has been a starter at the back end of the Patriots defense since 2010.

Will the Patriots cut ties with these veterans?

In 2019, he saw action in 13 games and had 12 starts. Chung stacked 51 tackles and three pass deflections. He has a $5.8 million cap hit in 2020. If New England cuts him, there a dead cap of $3.9 million. New England won’t save much. If they cut Chung, that will happen for performance purposes.

What about Brady’s sustainability?

A lot of teams have shown interest in the star quarterback. NFL front offices are worried about his injuries. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported about these issues.

NFL Media’s Mike Giardi reported that front office people admire Brady’s skills, but panic over his sustainability.

“Because he’s had a lot of issues over the last two years, physically. And no, he doesn’t miss games, but it’s impacted his performance. … Usually, when you turn 43, those things don’t get easier — they get harder to deal with.”