In a somewhat surprising move, the New England Patriots have just released defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick. Deaderick, 25, has been with the Patriots for the past three years.
Taken in the 7th round of the 2010 Draft, Deaderick was yet another example of a late selection that worked hard and earned himself a spot on the gameday roster. His first start came in Week 6 of the 2010 season, where he recorded his first sack. Since then, Deaderick has been something of a staple along the defensive line, coming in as a depth player to spell the starters and provide run support, where he was at his strongest. He continued to impress coaches and eventually worked his way into a part-time starting role. Deaderick played in 14 games last season, starting five of them. He finished the year with18 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack. Up until this afternoon, I would have bet that Deaderick was in the team's long-term future.
This cut seems to come at an odd time, but so it goes with the Patriots. Deaderick was entering into the last year of his rookie contract and wasn't on the books for a lot of money, so there has to be something else going on here. More details to follow.