Patriots ‘Likely’ to Cut Ties With Super Bowl Champion

The New England Patriots brought new players to the locker room and they will have to get rid of several players. According to recent reports, the Patriots may cut a Super Bowl champion ahead of the 2021 NFL season.

Ian Rapoport from NFL.com reported that the Patriots picked up the fifth-year option for offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn. However, he reported that the team will decline the same option for Sony Michel.

Wynn is a first-round selection in 2018. He will probably be the Patriots’ starting left tackle. He struggled to stay healthy in his first two seasons in the league. The talented player missed all of 2020 due to an injury. Wynn also missed eight and six games in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

When Michel was out, the Patriots put Damien Harris on the field. Harris had some health problems in 2020 and missed six games. Well, he rushed 691 yards averaging five yards per carry.

Michael DeVito from Chowder and Champions’ doesn’t believe the Patriots should pick up Michel’s iption.

“Sony Michel is an ok NFL back, but he too has had injury issues throughout his New England career,” DeVito wrote. “He’s played only 28 of 48 games as a Patriot. Better than Wynn’s tally but not good enough. Michel’s 4.3 yards per carry is decent, but he lacks explosiveness. He’s really not much of a long threat, and like all of the New England backs, he’s not decisive or productive in short-yardage. The entire stable of backs is/was wracked with injuries. The team couldn’t count on them from game to game. It has to be frustrating for the coaches and the quarterback, whoever he is.”

The Patriots have a good replacement for the Super Bowl champion

New England selected Rhamondre Stevenson from Oklahoma in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Dane Brugler from The Athletic said the following about the Stevenson:

“A one-year starter at Oklahoma, Stevenson was a natural fit in head coach Lincoln Riley’s offense, thriving in his zone-blocking scheme. After not playing football for a year after high school and spending two seasons at the JUCO level, he rose to the top of the Sooners’ depth chart, leading the team in rushing in the six games he played in 2020 after returning from his failed drug test suspension. Stevenson moves like a much smaller back, displaying the lower-body agility to hit the cutback lane or navigate between gaps without gearing down. While he is a gliding athlete for a big man, he needs to consistently play up to his size as both a runner and blocker. Overall, Stevenson has a track record of inconsistency, but he is built for the pro game with the smooth footwork to collect, cut, and accelerate. He projects best as a one-cut runner with pass-catching promise.”