The New England Patriots are undoubtedly going through their biggest transition since the beginning of the millennium. Without Bill Belichick at the helm, and with new faces at offensive and defensive coordinator, an almost unrecognizable Patriots team is taking form in the new Jerod Mayo era.
A Changing Of The Guard Already Commencing For New England
However, despite numerous coaching changes being announced over the course of the start of the offseason in the wake of Belichick’s departure, the main changes will likely come from the personnel change of those actually competing on the field; the players.
With a projected salary cap surplus of over $77 million, ever since news broke that the NFL salary cap would be raised to a whopping $250 million for the 2024 season, per Mike Florio, the Patriots will have a lot of room to make substantial changes to what has been a diminishing roster with few bona fide blue chip players of the past couple of seasons.
The Old To Make Way For The “New” In Foxborough
The Patriots also boast the 3rd oldest roster in the NFL (of players currently under contract for the ensuing season), beaten only by the Buffalo Bills and the perennially-in-cap-hell, New Orleans Saints.
As a result, it seems only natural that the new coaching staff would look to bring in young reinforcements this offseason, and reflexively, move on from older, veteran players.
Two such moves have been announced today; Patriots stalwarts and Belichick favorites, Lawrence Guy and Adrian Phillips.
The #Patriots are also releasing veteran safety Adrian Phillips, per source. So two veterans on defense gone as New England gets younger in the post-Bill Belichick era. https://t.co/3bpB83aMjk
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 19, 2024
What Does This Mean For The New England Patriots
Lawrence Guy and Adrian Phillips have been key pieces of the Patriots puzzle over the past few years, but more recently their respective roles have decreased in recent months.
Phillips played just 12% of defensive snaps last season, and focused more on his secondary role as a core special teams contributor. Guy, in addition, saw his role lessen as former 2nd round pick and impressive 3 technique, Christian Barmore, seems poised to take the full time role in Guy’s old position.
The Patriots save about $3 million each by releasing Phillips and Guy respectively, and do right by their veterans in allowing to have a head start on the market in an attempt to find a role on a new team. Or, ultimately, if they decide to retire, giving them a few extra weeks of relaxation time.
Regardless, the departure of these once hallmark players, especially Lawrence Guy, who was named to the Pat’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s, certainly marks another stage in the changing of the guard in New England, and now it seems to be seen as to who will encompass the new generation of New England Patriots.
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