The New England Patriots have released 2014 first-round pick Dominique Easley according to Ian Rapoport. The move is reportedly due to off-field issues.
#Patriots have released 1st round DL Dominique Easley, source confirmed (as @tomecurran said). Injuries limited him to 22 games in 2 years.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 13, 2016
Patriots Release Dominique Easley
Easley, a defensive tackle, attended Florida. He played all four years for the Gators but an ACL tear limited him to just a few games in his final year. The ACL injury wasn’t his first as he tore his other ACL during the 2011 season. Over the course of his collegiate career he accumulated 5.5 sacks and 72 combined tackles.
The 24 year-old Easley was a highly touted prospect going into the draft. He was an anticipated early first-round pick before the ACL injury that he sustained in his senior year. The fact that he had two ACL-related injuries made him a risky choice for any team but allowed him to be taken later in the draft by the Patriots with the 29th overall pick.
In his first year with the Patriots in 2014, Easley played in 11 games and started in two. He recorded 10 combined tackles, one sack, and had one interception. He ended the year on the injured reserve as he sustained a knee injury.
During his sophomore season with the Patriots in 2015 he also played in 11 games while only starting one. He recorded 15 combined tackles and two sacks. He ended the season again on the injured reserve after he sustained an injury to his thigh in Week 14 against the Texans.
The release was a surprise to many as Easley was figured to be a mainstay in New England opposite of fellow defensive tackle Malcolm Brown. While injuries were a problem throughout his collegiate and pro careers, off-field issues were reportedly the Patriots’ reason for his release.
This move hurts the Patriots monetarily as well since they will actually take a bigger cap hit now then if Easley was on the team. Instead of $1.99 million they could be looking at a $3.6 million cap hit.
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