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2014 first-round pick Dominique Easley played exceedingly well for the New England Patriots last season when he was healthy. That makes his release on Wednesday all the more surprising.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Easley was released on Wednesday after playing only 22 games over two seasons. Tom Curran of Comcast Sports New England first reported the news.
While injuries have been an issue for Easley, it's hard not to wonder if there is more to the story here. Patriots coach Bill Belichick called Easley an "explosive player that is very disruptive" before last season. Easley only played 275 snaps last year, but he looked like one of the team's best defensive players when healthy. To put it in perspective: ProFootball Focus ranked him as the No. 12 defensive tackle in the league despite the limited playing time.
Easley tore his ACL in both knees in college and ended his rookie season with a knee injury. He tore his quadriceps in 2015.
2014 first-round pick Dominique Easley played exceedingly well for the New England Patriots last season when he was healthy. That makes his release on Wednesday all the more surprising.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Easley was released on Wednesday after playing only 22 games over two seasons. Tom Curran of Comcast Sports New England first reported the news.
While injuries have been an issue for Easley, it's hard not to wonder if there is more to the story here. Patriots coach Bill Belichick called Easley an "explosive player that is very disruptive" before last season. Easley only played 275 snaps last year, but he looked like one of the team's best defensive players when healthy. To put it in perspective: ProFootball Focus ranked him as the No. 12 defensive tackle in the league despite the limited playing time.
Easley tore his ACL in both knees in college and ended his rookie season with a knee injury. He tore his quadriceps in 2015.