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The New England Patriots are trimming the fat.
A day after saying goodbye to fringe running back depth option Devine Ozigbo, the Patriots released linebacker Terez Hall after he failed a physical.
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Terez Hall’s Failed Physical Leads to Release
The Patriots released an official statement on the release of Hall but didn’t give a reason for the separation. However, the NFL transaction wire indicated the reason for the release was a failed physical.
Hall spent eight games with the Patriots in 2020 getting four starts. He got promoted to the 53-man roster in late November as the coaching staff seemed to like his aggressiveness. Unfortunately, the Missouri product suffered an ankle injury that kept him on the physically unable to perform list throughout the 2021 season.
With Hall apparently not ready to return to the field, the Patriots chose to go in another direction. During his half-season with the Patriots, he tallied 50 tackles, and 2 pass deflections with a combined 287 snaps split between defense and special teams.
While Hall didn’t play a major role in 2021, it would have made sense to position him to play major snaps in 2022 considering how little experience many of the other Patriots linebackers have under their belts.
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At 25 years old, Hall may still have some football left in him, but he’ll need to continue to rehab his injury before making another push toward an NFL job. In the meantime, he may find a home on a USFL roster.
The rebooted league has already served as a landing spot for a few former Patriots and players from other teams who are without an NFL home.
Patriots Linebacker Depth and a Shift in Philosophy
At 6-foot-2 235 pounds, Hall was a shorter, stockier linebacker, which has been the archetype the Patriots have leaned toward over the past couple of decades. The team’s desire to have linebackers big enough to stand up against the run has won out over the speedier groups that appear to be the rage across football in the NFL and on the college level.
Perhaps the Patriots are giving in to the trend. The team’s current linebacker group is set to be a faster and more athletic bunch with the exception of holdover Ja’Whuan Bentley.
Here is a look at the Patriots linebacker group if the NFL season started tomorrow, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss:
It appears the Patriots are moving on from legendary performer Dont’a Hightower and another fan-favorite Jamie Collins. Both remain free agents with the offseason’s major dates in the rearview mirror.
The list isn’t heavy on big names, but the hope is someone will have a breakout season to solidify the second level of the defense.
Could We See a Late-Camp Addition to the Linebacker Corp?
Because the Patriots linebackers don’t jump off the page, it’s inevitable, that there will be the talk of New England signing any big-name player who even partially resembles a scheme fit once late releases begin happening during training camp or after the preseason.
Injuries and/or breakout performances from young players can cause veterans to become expendable. There’s always the financial portion too, which can also be a factor in a personnel decision.
In any of those cases, the Patriots could be in the market for a veteran linebacker who can come in and help to lead what appears to be a largely young and inexperienced group–even if they are a bit more athletic than they have been for many years.
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