The New England Patriots pulled a fast one on us, as center Bryan Stork wasn’t cut, but was traded to the Washington Redskins for a conditional draft pick.
As shocking as it was to see the New England Patriots cut an important offensive lineman in the preseason in Bryan Stork, that apparently wasn’t true. According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Stork is headed to the nation’s capital.
Wow. #Patriots didn’t cut C Bryan Stork after all… they traded him to the #Redskins, source said. That was unexpected.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 24, 2016
The #Patriots traded C Bryan Stork to the #Redskins in exchange for a conditional draft pick, source said. Deal being worked out now.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 24, 2016
Stork played in 21 games for the Patriots over two seasons, starting at center in 17 of them. He was a prominent member of the 2013 National Champion Florida State Seminoles offensive line. In 2014, Stork was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots.
Stork has proven himself to be a solid interior offensive lineman in the NFL over the last two seasons. Still, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has found a cheaper option in former 2015 undrafted free-agent David Andrews. Andrews starred collegiately at the University of Georgia, playing in 14 games for New England last season. He started in 11 contests.
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Getting a conditional draft pick for Stork might be in the best interest for the Patriots in the long-term, as they’ve decided to go in another direction at center. That being said, the 2015 Patriots offensive line was one of the worst units assembled in the Belichick era in Foxboro.
Andrews has proven to be more reliable than Stork in terms of health, but keep in mind that the Patriots aren’t starting Tom Brady at quarterback the first four weeks of the 2016 NFL season. It will be young Jimmy Garoppolo under center for New England for the first month.