FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 29: Anfernee Jennings #33 of the New England Patriots walks to the field during the New England Patriots OTA Offseason Workout on May 29, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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Anfernee Jennings #33 of the New England Patriots
The Patriots will have difficult decisions to make ahead of Tuesday’s NFL cut-down day, when they need to trim the roster to 53 players. The offensive line room will get a lot of attention, and how coach Mike Vrabel handles the receiver room will also be worth noting. Whether safety Kyle Dugger, coming back from ankle surgery, sticks with the team is one of the ongoing dramas, too.
But one guy who is under the radar is Anfernee Jennings pass-rusher in a Vrabel defense that is going to be geared toward getting to the quarterback.
Jennings is a useful NFL player. He’s just not necessarily a useful NFL player for New England. So before the deadline, it would make sense for the Patriots to find a trade for Jennings.
Anfernee Jennings ‘Stout’ Against the Run
That’s the prediction from ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell, who sees Jennings staying in the NFL, but swapping teams–to the Lions. The Patriots would not get much of a return in that scenario, swapping a seventh-rounder up to a sixth-rounder, but it’s better than cutting Jennings for nothing.
Writes Barnwell: “A former third-round pick by previous Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Jennings is a stout run defender on the edge who had nine quarterback knockdowns last season across 831 defensive snaps.
“He isn’t a great pass rusher, but he can still be a valuable part of a roster as an early-down edge defender. Jennings is owed $2.5 million in 2025, about half of which is guaranteed. He doesn’t appear to be in new coach Mike Vrabel’s plans, but I like him as a fit in Detroit, where the Lions could stand to add a little more edge depth.”
Patriots Have Made 15 Cuts
The Patriots have already been active in making their cuts, hoping to give players a chance to latch on with other teams. On Sunday, the team announced it was waiving Layden Robinson with an injury designation, a move that followed 14 cuts made on Friday.
Before the Robinson move, Vrabel announced the following cuts, in this order:
LB RJ Moten
RB Micah Bernard
WR Phil Lutz
DT Kyle Peko
TE Cole Fotheringham
DL Phillip Blidi
RB Shane Watts
QB Ben Wooldridge
DB Jordan Polk
LB Monty Rice
OL Sidy Sow
TE Jaheim Bell
DB Isaiah Bolden
OL Tyrese Robinson
He added, “Tough day. We talked about this, we have a personal side of this and a professional side of this. This is clearly, the professional side is what we have to do. Thirty-one other teams are going to have to do it by Tuesday, so we just try to do it as respectfully as possible.”