5 Patriots on the Chopping Block After Bill Belichick's Exit

These members of the New England Patriots organization are on the chopping block as a new regime takes over in place of Bill Belichick.

Jul 27, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (7) holds / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

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4. Trent Brown

There were big expectations on Trent Brown's shoulders heading into the 2023 campaign. The fact Brown was entering a contract year also generated some optimism he'd do everything could to make a positive impact.

And there's no denying he was a force on the field. The 30-year-old posted the best overall PFF grade of his career (80.3) this past season while allowing just three sacks and being called for only two penalties.

However, Brown's off-the-field behavior has irked more than a few in New England's locker room. Anonymous players have called the OT out for drawing out his return from injury and being more focused on his personal earnings this offseason than the collective good of the team.

No matter how talented a player is, if they start to become ostracized from their own locker room, that's a major red flag. Whoever takes over at GM won't want to keep a player around who's sewing discord. That makes the decision to not re-sign Brown an easy one.

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