Yesterday, the New England Patriots made one of the biggest and most unexpected moves of the offseason when they released their 2014 first round draft pick Dominique Easley. The 23-year old is a huge talent but a combination of injuries and his off-field demeanor has caused the Patriots to cut ties with him.
Naturally, due to Easley being in the league for only two years, he had to clear waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Despite his draft status and talent, this is exactly what happened according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:
No one claimed former #Patriots first-rounder DL Dominique Easley, source said. He's a free agent.
Easley going unclaimed is definitely a surprise given that he was a highly touted first round selection just two years ago. However, it also explains why the Patriots were unable to find a trade partner for the young, cheap and talented defensive tackle: he is not valued as highly throughout the league as his draft status and 2015 performance might suggest.
Eventually, Easley will find a team -- after all, he is too talented not to. One thing looks sure, though: it won't be the Patriots.