NFL roster cut day highlights awful Patriots drafting at skill positions

NFL roster cut day highlights awful Patriots drafting at skill positions originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots used to be among the leaders in points scored on an annual basis, and Tom Brady obviously was a huge reason for that success on offense.

But the steep drop-off in the Patriots’ scoring output over the last several years — they were tied for last at 13.9 points per game last season — goes beyond Brady’s departure in 2020. Poor free agent decisions haven’t helped. A lack of impactful trades has been an issue as well.

But the primary problem is the draft.

The Patriots have been awful at drafting and developing players at the skill positions on offense (quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end). It’s not a recent development. It’s been a weakness for more than a decade.

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Tuesday is NFL roster cut down day. All 32 teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET.

The Patriots reportedly waived quarterback Bailey Zappe and running back Kevin Harris on Tuesday. New England drafted four skill position players in 2022, but with Zappe and Harris gone, only wide receiver Tyquan Thornton remains.

But the 2022 draft class isn’t an outlier. It’s actually the norm for the Patriots. Since 2013, the only skill position players they’ve drafted who are still on the roster today include Thornton and running back Rhamondre Stevenson. The Pats drafted Stevenson in the fourth round in 2021. Thornton was a second-rounder in 2022. Jacoby Brissett was a 2016 draft pick and is on the current roster, but he spent the 2017 through 2023 seasons elsewhere.

Here’s a list of the skill position players drafted by the Patriots during a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022 (h/t to The 33rd Team).

2022

QB Bailey Zappe

WR Tyquan Thornton

RB Pierre Strong

RB Kevin Harris

2021

QB Mac Jones

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

WR Tre…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-roster-cut-day-highlights-181653420.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-08-27 18:42:37

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