On two consecutive days, there were two separate reports of veteran players on the Patriots requesting a release from the team, with both players ultimately having their requests granted.
On Tuesday, it was veteran safety Marcus Epps, who had signed with the team in March after previously serving as a team captain with the Raiders under former head coach Josh McDaniels. Epps’ reported request was granted before Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. ET cutdown deadline, and the 29-year-old was not a part of the team’s finalized-for-now 53-man roster.
On Wednesday, it was veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who was included in the final-ish 53, but not for long.
Around an hour before head coach Mike Vrabel’s post-cutdown debrief press conference on Wednesday, news came down from multiple media outlets that Bourne had requested a release, as the 30-year-old seeks a “fresh start.” NFL Media’s Tom Pelisero added that Bourne is now back to full health after suffering a foot injury on August 1 during the team’s in-stadium intrasquad scrimmage that sidelined him for most of camp and the entire preseason.
The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan added that Bourne’s release request came after New England had failed to finalize a trade that would have sent the wideout to Minnesota. In addition to the failed trade to the Vikings, Callahan reports that the Patriots asked Bourne to take a pay cut, to which the nine-year veteran declined.
Bourne is in the second year of a three-year, $19.5 million contract, with $5.5 million guaranteed.
When asked about these reported release requests on Wednesday, Vrabel had an interesting answer.
Here’s the full back-and-forth:
Doug Kyed: “When players request a release, how do you determine whether to grant that release or say, ‘Too bad, you’re sticking around?’"
Mike Vrabel: “I don't know who you're referring to, I guess, specifically.”
DK: “[Marcus] Epps and [Kendrick] Bourne.”
MV: “Yeah, that's news to me. I mean, I think that we just, again, try to put the roster together. I guess when it doesn't work out, you break up with somebody, your girlfriend doesn't want to be with you, and then you say, ‘Well, I don't want to be with you either.’ I'm not going to get into all that.”
Phil Perry: “So was that…”
MV: “I just said I'm not going to get into it. It was just like – you know what I mean? We're not going to go back and forth here. We're trying to build a roster. You’ve got to move on from some guys. You make connections with guys, you coach them, they earn opportunities, they get more opportunities, they take advantage of them and that's kind of how these things go.”
Whether requested or not, it sounds like more releases could be on the way.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss is reporting that the Patriots intend on releasing second-year wide receiver Javon Baker, who surprisingly made the 53-man roster as, presumably, the seventh or eighth wideout on the depth chart - depending on where you had Bourne placed Tuesday afternoon. Reiss added that Baker could return to the team's practice squad if he were to clear waivers after being released.
With Bourne out the door and Baker reportedly soon to follow, that would bring the Patriots’ wide receivers room down to six players:
- Kayshon Boutte
- Efton Chism
- Stefon Diggs
- DeMario Douglas
- Mack Hollins
- Kyle Williams
Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com as this situation at wide receiver continues to develop.