The New England Patriots are in the middle of some roster restructuring at the moment...
Stefon Diggs confirmed his impending release on Wednesday. Antonio Gibson was released from his contract after spending the majority of his season on injured reserve. Alex Austin was informed that he will not be tendered an offer despite being one of the organization's few restricted free agents.
It's not like they're done, either.
The Patriots still have to make room, both on the roster and in the ledger, in order to do all of the things we expect of them throughout the offseason -- which could mean saying goodbye to these veterans.
LB Jahlani Tavai
New England is currently slated to invest more than $30 million into its off-ball linebackers in 2026 -- which is pretty insane when you consider the fact that only one (Robert Spillane, 72.62%) played more than 50% of the total defensive snaps across the regular season and postseason in 2025.
It's time to cut the fat.
Tavai was clearly the fourth option on the depth chart, as he played a greater percentage of the special teams snaps (49.89%) than defensive snaps (22.37%) despite being the second-highest paid member of that group. If you release him, however, the cap saving would be negligible -- which is why they might consider doing something bigger.
LB Christian Elliss
Elliss is scheduled to make $8.55 million in 2026. If you release him, it would save roughly $5 million -- though the saving would likely be needed to find his eventual replacement.
The Patriots would have to really need the money in order to make that decision, but there should be opportunities to upgrade the unit and that starts with finding someone better served to be the primary backup behind Spillane.
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LB Anfernee Jennings
Jennings just doesn't fit what this coaching staff is looking for, despite being one of the more effective players on the roster when it comes to stopping the run. New England tried trading him last offseason, but ultimately got stuck with the money as it would have been too expensive to just release him -- though that is no longer the case. If they release him now, it'll save nearly $3 million and create more of an opportunity for whoever it is that they plan on bringing in to fortify the pass-rush in 2026.
C Garrett Bradbury
Bradbury was fantastic last season, but there is a prevailing thought that his job is in jeopardy due to the club's need for someone who can slide in to play left guard while Jared Wilson transitions to play his natural position of center in 2026.
The Patriots would save roughly $4.5 million with the move, bringing the total to $26,433,309 if they do, in fact, release Tavai, Elliss, Jennings, and Bradbury in addition to Diggs, according to Spotrac.
More NFL: Patriots Offseason Preview: Everything Team Must Address In 2026