It should be taken as a sign of progress, it could be argued, that when it comes time for the Patriots to make their cuts at the end of August, the decisions will be difficult. The Patriots will have to let go of some good players, or, at least, some players who were highly thought-of in the NFL draft.
Depending on the health of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who suffered an ACL tear in late October while playing for the Texans, the receiving room could well be the epicenter of tough cuts. That’s because the Patriots have four shoo-ins–Diggs, rookie Kyle Williams, free-agent signee Mack Hollins and holdover Demario Douglas–to make the 53-man roster. A fifth, Kendrick Bourne, is a near shoo-in.
The Pats could keep six, or even seven, receivers, but either way, some combination of Kayshon Boutte, 2024 second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker will be on the cutting block.
And one team insider seems to think there is an early favorite.
Patriots Cutting Ja’Lynn Polk ‘Most Sense for the Team’
That would be Polk, whom Patriots analyst Phil Perry NBC Sports Boston tabbed as the player whom the team might be best off cutting ties with.
Wrote Perry in a mailbag this week: “There’s a chance there are some tough cuts this year. At receiver, parting with Polk might hurt since he was a second-round pick, but it might make the most sense for the team.”
Some of that will depend on whether Diggs is healthy to start the year or begins the season on the physically unable to perform list. Starting on the PUP list will keep Diggs off the field for the first four games, but would let the Patriots sort out their receiver hierarchy and be better prepared to make a cut when he returns.
Stefon Diggs’ Return Still a Question
It’s possible, of course, that Diggs will not be ready until closer to midseason, perhaps a full year after the injury happened (October 27). But it’s also possible that Diggs will be ready for Week 1, though that seems improbable. Diggs is on a three-year, $63 million that has only $25 million guaranteed, allowing the Pats an out in case he does not come fully back.
This week, tight end Austin Hooper told reporters that he has been surprised by how good Diggs looks after just a bit more than six months of rehab.
“Energy, man. You can see he’s a freak,” Hooper said of Diggs, via Pro Football Talk. “I know he just came off what he came off of, and you can see him already with the explosion, the change of direction, the top end. It’s like, ‘Dang, dude, it must be nice’, you know what I mean? I’m really excited to work with a proven veteran, good player in this league.”
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