The New England Patriots needed to make a move on offense. The unit has been struggling heavily prior to the solid win on Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Tom Brady and the wide receivers have not appeared to be on the same page and the running backs were doing very little to provide relief. Would the move come via a trade or free agent pickup? The Patriots made the first roster switch over the weekend.
New England announced they have released undrafted wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins. The move was made prior to Sunday's win. The release came as a surprise to some considering Thompkins spent all last season as a starting wide receiver for the team and certainly did enough to prove his worth. However, the slow start to the season forced the Patriots to do something and parting with the undrafted free agent was the easiest first step to take.
Thompkins finished last season with 446 yards and four touchdowns after starting eight games for the Patriots. On the roster of struggling wide receivers, he had the easiest contract to cut immediately. This move puts everyone on watch. Julian Edelman is the only wide receiver managing to make a consistent impact for the offense. Outside of him, Brandon LaFell is still waiting for his breakout game while Danny Amendola and Aaron Dobson have been non-existent. Amendola has been struggling with injuries once again. He left Sunday's game early with an injury. Meanwhile Dobson was benched for two weeks after reportedly mouthing off to the coaching staff.
The open roster spot will certainly spawn more rumors regarding a potential trade. Last week the Boston Globe reported that the Patriots would be the frontrunners for a deal involving Larry Fitzgerald. The current Arizona Cardinal has an expiring contract to his name and looks poised for departure. Landing in New England would certainly be a welcomed sight for Brady. Others like Andre Johnson or Justin Hunter could be good options for the Patriots.
Meanwhile, what happens to Thompkins who has some success to his name? The wide receiver could land a number of places. He has connections with the Pittsburgh Steelers as Antonio Brown is his mentor. The Carolina Panthers could take a serious look his way in hopes of giving Cam Newton one more weapon. The Oakland Raiders are also in need of playermaker for Derek Carr and could pick up Thompkins for the remainder of the year.
