Prior to 4:00 on September 1st, all 32 teams must trim their rosters from 90 to 53 players. While this is obviously a difficult process for every single team, the roster transactions don’t stop once the team releases 37 NFL hopefuls. There’s a large amount of talent readily available on the market, and the New England Patriots are constantly looking to upgrade their roster. With league-wide roster cuts underway, here are some league wide roster cuts who could find their way to Foxboro.
League Wide Roster Cuts Who Would Fit in New England
Brian Robison
While Brian Robison doesn’t fill a glaring need, this is a situation that’s too good to pass up. Robinson, entering his 12th season in the league, has been a solid member of the Minnesota Vikings defensive line rotation ever since entering the league.
With Trey Flowers battling injury and Derek Rivers coming off a torn ACL, it makes all the sense in the world for the Patriots to bring the veteran aboard. Throughout his NFL career, Robison has played in 173 of a possible 176 games. It’s hard to be more durable than that, especially at a position as violent as defensive end.
Additionally, the preseason showed that the New England defense still had trouble setting the edge. Young players like Rivers and Deatrich Wise aren’t quite polished enough with their pass rush, something that was abundantly clear in the third preseason game the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots could use a veteran like Robison to play contain and help set the edge.
Braxton Miller
In case you didn’t know, the New England Patriots have a wide receiver problem. Currently, the team is set to head into the 2018 season with Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson as their top three receivers. That’s obviously not an ideal grouping, and the Patriots could use any upgrade they can find.
Enter Braxton Miller. The Houston Texans cut their former third-round pick, and he would fit an immediate need in Foxboro. The Patriots currently don’t have a reliable option in the slot, and Miller could fit the role. He played under a similar offense with Bill O’Brien in Houston, so it likely wouldn’t take him too long to pick up the playbook.
Through his first two seasons in the league, Miller recorded just 34 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns. That’s obviously not elite production by any means, but he’s a fantastic athlete. Miller doesn’t need to be a star for this offense, he just needs to be capable of playing a few snaps a game out of the slot. He’s certainly has the ability to do that. If, however, the Patriots were looking for a player with higher production, their best bet is probably a trade.
John Timu
Outside of wide receiver, the Patriots biggest need may be linebacker depth. Fortunately for them, the Chicago Bears released linebacker John Timu. Timu isn’t a great player by any means, but he’s a solid backup more than capable of usurping Elandon Roberts in the defense.
Timu is a 6’-0”, 246 pound inside linebacker who primarily plays against the run. Through three seasons with Chicago, Timu has played in 29 games, recording 59 tackles and two passes defensed. While these numbers are uninspiring, he’s put together a strong preseason. Through four games, Timu recorded 13 tackles and broke up one pass while playing in the middle of the defense.
Timu ended up as the casualty in the blockbuster Khalil Mack trade. While Timu won’t ever be a star linebacker by any means, he belongs on an NFL roster.
One of Michael Floyd or Brandon Tate
While these are two separate players, they make these list for the same reason. Each player is well past their prime as a wide receiver, but each guy has familiarity with Tom Brady and the offense. In 2016, Floyd made a brief cameo with the Super Bowl champions. Signed on prior to Week 17, Floyd recorded four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in his lone regular season game with New England. He also laid down a massive block to spring Julian Edelman for a touchdown. Floyd remained on the roster for the playoff run, but didn’t do much of anything before signing with the Minnesota Vikings in the off-season.
Brandon Tate, on the other hand, hasn’t played for the Patriots since 2010. Tate played a small role on the 2010 offense, serving as the occasional deep threat while posting 24 receptions for 432 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, Tate served as the teams primary kick returner, returning two kicks for touchdowns in 2010.
However, both Tate and Floyd have struggled in recent seasons. In his seven seasons since leaving the Patriots, Tate has never recorded more than 17 receptions and 211 yards in a season. At this point in his career, he’s almost exclusively a returner. Likewise, Floyd finished 2017 with just 10 receptions for 78 yards.
In an ideal world, neither player would be coveted by New England. However, with the roster uncertainties, it might be worth bringing in one guy to see if they still have chemistry with Brady. If they do, they could be good for a handful of snaps a game. If not, they could re-sign either Riley McCarron or Braxton Berrios. It’s highly unlikely either player would be picked up by a different organization.
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