Stop if you have heard this before. A star player on the New England Patriots is shipped out on a moment’s notice by coach Bill Belichick who feels the move can better the team. Nine times out of 10, Belichick makes the right call. But that doesn’t stop former players from speaking out against the legendary head coach.
Most recently, Demaryius Thomas dealt with a tough situation that resulted in a surprise trade for the veteran receiver. In an eight-day span, Thomas, who had fully recovered from a torn Achilles in seven months, was cut, re-signed, inactive for Week 1, and traded to the Jets.
Thomas, speaking to the New York Daily News, detailed his rough experience with the Patriots, one that came after he worked so hard to get back to his old self.
“It was insulting, for sure. Once I got cut (on August 31), I could have just come here (to the Jets) and not stayed there and re-sign. When they re-signed me, I was thinking that I was good. Two weeks later, I was gone. So, it’s like, ‘Why did I waste my time?’ Because at the end of the day, it was kind of a waste of time for me.”
Though he did say he was not angry with Belichick or the Patriots, Thomas did not how he felt disrespected by how the whole situation was handled.
“They took a chance to bring me in and helped me get healthy. I always knew I was going to be able to still play… and it would have worked out because I was still learning their offense. Josh McDaniels drafted me. So, I felt like I was cool. But even having conversations with him and couple other people, it was like, ‘You’re going to be okay.’ Two weeks later, AB gets cut… and then they kicked me (to the curb) and shipped me out like I’m just a rookie.”
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This Isn’t the First Time for Patriots
Well, it happened with Jamie Collins in 2016 and resulted in the discovery of Kyle Van Noy and two Super Bowl titles. And Collins even came back.
Then it happened again in 2010 with Randy Moss, who said he “Didn’t feel wanted” in New England. He was eventually traded to Minnesota for a mid-round draft pick used to select quarterback Ryan Mallett.
It’s also not the first time a former Patriot spoke out about how poorly his experience with the team was. Linebacker Cassius Marsh, who played for New England early in 2017, noted how he hated his time with the Patriots and even pondered quitting football while in New England.
Was Patriots Decision to TradeDemaryius the Right Move?
There are still questions as to whether the Patriots trading Demaryius Thomas will work out in the end. Thomas and Brady seemed to have built veteran chemistry the may have worked wonders if the two got a chance to play together.
Thomas was ultimately shipped out to make room for Antonio Brown, who lasted just 13 days total in New England before he too was released amidst a sea of controversy and scandal. The Patriots are still dealing with that headache after Brown filed grievances with the NFL to get his salary for 2019.
With so many receivers still hurt for New England and no chance of Antonio Brown ever playing for the team again, Thomas would have been stepping into a major role for the Patriots. New England is thin at the position and may have been better off to keep Thomas after all.
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Former Patriot Says Stint in New England ‘A Waste of Time’