Patriots Cut Another Failed Pick From 2023 Class
By Joe Summers
The Patriots continued cleaning house from the 2023 NFL Draft class, releasing fifth-round guard Atonio Mafi after sending fourth-round kicker Chad Ryland packing earlier on Tuesday.
With rosters required to trim from 90 players to 53 by the deadline, New England accepted sunk costs and said goodbye to a pair of players representing valuable draft capital. The moves could be viewed as mature acceptance of sunk costs, or alternatively, a misguided overreaction to previous mistakes.
In either case, the new regime is putting its fingerprint on the roster and trying to make the Patriots competitive after a disappointing 2023 campaign.
Patriots News: New England Cuts G Atonio Mafi
Patriots have now cut a fourth-rounder (Chad Ryland) and a fifth-rounder (Atonio Mafi) from last year’s draft class. Another fourth (Jake Andrews) is on IR, and Marte Mapu (third) could land there, too. https://t.co/vKlXOohhOf
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) August 27, 2024
Mafi started five games for the Patriots in 2023, suiting up for all 17. Offensive line issues plagued the offense all year long, though it's hard to blame that on the former UCLA standout.
Considering that Jake Andrews and Marte Mapu could both begin the new season on the injured reserve, it's almost comical how little impact the organization expects to feel from its 2023 class.
Bolstered by fresh voices in the front office, the 2024 class figures to be much more impactful. Drake Maye looks like a great pick, while players like Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker help round out an impressive injection of skill-position talent.
Nonetheless, decisions like these speak to the struggles of 2023 and cast a dark cloud until improvements show themselves. Shrewd teams don't waste this many mid-round picks, so all eyes will be on the 2024 class to ensure the new decision-makers haven't made similar mistakes to their predecessors.
More New England Patriots News:
feed