Dennard released by Patriots

TGHusker

TGHusker

Heisman Trophy Winner
In some ways this is surprising to me but then again injuries makes one expendable. I still think he has all of the tools to be a

great DB in the NFL and I hope he lands on a team where his skills can shine.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000491067/article/new-england-patriots-to-release-alfonzo-dennard

Here is the article:

After tumbling down the New England Patriots' stacked depth chart last season before landing on injured reserve, the writing was on the wall for cornerback Alfonzo Dennard.


The Patriots are releasing Dennard after three seasons with the team, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.

Dennard, a seventh-round pick back in 2012, appeared in 29 games for the Patriots, a run that included five picks and 86 tackles.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick drafted a safety and cornerback over the weekend, which likely made the injured cornerback expendable.

Before some legal troubles, Dennard was looked at by some as a late first- or early second-round pick. At almost 6 feet and 205 pounds, he's certainly physical enough to warrant a look from some other teams out there.

As evidenced by the draft, good cornerback help is hard to come by.

 
Dennard and Amukamara each have SB rings. Not a bad 'streak'. Good luck at youtr new team, Fonz.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Very surprising. He was starting caliber at one point and then tumbled. I'm sad
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There's a bunch of words in this blurb from the Boston Herald, but the only remotely actionable sentence here is:

Members of the Patriots have routinely questioned his work ethic and commitment to the game, too.
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This is either something new (I don't recall Fonzie's work ethic being questioned here, or in his first season or two in New England) or just lazy journalism. We don't know if those "members of the Patriots" are coaches, players or both.

Everything else cited in this article are injuries, or things known to the Patsies for a year or two before they decided to cut Dennard.

LINK

 
He's still smoking from how badly he was burned in that playoff game against the Broncos.

 
Mike Reiss (Patriots reporter for ESPN): http://espn.go.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4781135/closing-the-patriots-book-on-alfonzo-dennard?ex_cid=espnapi_public

The question "why would the Patriots release a one-time starter at a time when there is a level of uncertainty at the position?" is a natural one to ask today. Obviously if the Patriots saw Dennard as part of the long-term solution, they wouldn't have made this move. So start there. Why they feel that way is unclear (our best guess is that they didn't see a work ethic/approach that matched their expectations), so let's dissect it more from a big-picture viewpoint.
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He's confused, too, based strictly on prior understanding of Dennard's situation. Reiss is a very well respected journalist and careful with his words, but he also notes his best guess is a work ethic thing (without dropping a bomb about it), which makes me think there is something there, because he would have heard if so. He expected that a "normal" (no jail) full offseason for Dennard to hone his craft would have him returning to form, which everyone in New England was quite pleased about back in '13. But he also seems to think the past two weeks may have been pivotal (voluntary offseason program).

 
zoogs said:
Mike Reiss (Patriots reporter for ESPN): http://espn.go.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4781135/closing-the-patriots-book-on-alfonzo-dennard?ex_cid=espnapi_public

The question "why would the Patriots release a one-time starter at a time when there is a level of uncertainty at the position?" is a natural one to ask today. Obviously if the Patriots saw Dennard as part of the long-term solution, they wouldn't have made this move. So start there. Why they feel that way is unclear (our best guess is that they didn't see a work ethic/approach that matched their expectations), so let's dissect it more from a big-picture viewpoint.
Click to expand...
He's confused, too, based strictly on prior understanding of Dennard's situation. Reiss is a very well respected journalist and careful with his words, but he also notes his best guess is a work ethic thing (without dropping a bomb about it), which makes me think there is something there, because he would have heard if so. He expected that a "normal" (no jail) full offseason for Dennard to hone his craft would have him returning to form, which everyone in New England was quite pleased about back in '13. But he also seems to think the past two weeks may have been pivotal (voluntary offseason program).
Click to expand...
Glad to hear that Reiss is careful because the Pats drop the "work ethic" line quite often when they are cutting a player. I suspect they want their players on notice that their market value can be cut even after their job.

 
He's reputation here at NU was that of a hard worker who grew with experience. Of course, if I recall, he missed time at NU with injuries as well. The Pats, who I believe saw him as a rising star, may have seen the writing on the wall- projecting injury problems throughout his career. Not something you can build with. Come on Vikings - take a chance on him.

 
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