Reggie Wayne Cut By the New England Patriots

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Just a week after signing with the New England Patriots, wide receiver Reggie Wayne has been cut by the team. Reports are saying that Wayne asked the team to cut him. This most likely means that he is going to announce his retirement sometime soon, or he did not feel comfortable with the team’s offensive playbook.

Last season for the Colts, Wayne had 64 receptions, 779 yards, and two touchdowns. Wayne played a good depth role, leading the team to the AFC Conference Championship game where the team lost to the New England Patriots. He is not the same superstar receiver that he was in his prime, but he is a good depth guy.

Even though Reggie is not a superstar receiver, he is a good veteran receiver at 36 years of age. He has good speed, he has great hands and he knows how to win games. Teams cannot let Wayne get open down the field because that is where he is the most effective.  He is also a great leader, mentor in the locker room and on the field. Once Wayne gets on his game, he is really good. There are some concerns about his health and his injury history but outside of that he is a great receiver.

This is surprising to a lot of people; a lot of people thought Wayne would make an impact with New England. It was not bound to happen for some reason. He has been playing for over 10 years, so retirement right now would not be surprising at all. Another option for him is signing with another team that he fits with. If he does retire expect him to get a broadcasting job with ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS, or NFL Network.

In other New England Patriots news, the team also cut running back Jonas Gray.  Most people know Gray for the breakout performance that he had last season against the Indianapolis Colts, when he scored multiple rushing touchdowns and ran for over 200 yards. After that he slowed down when he missed practice. This caused a falling out in the running back depth charts.