As part of a roster crunch, the New England Patriots have parted ways with veteran defensive tackle Terrance Knighton.
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Late in the free agency period, the New England Patriots added depth to their defensive line, signing veteran DT Terrance Knighton to a one-year deal. However, the match simply did not work out as the team has released the eight-year veteran player.
The 6-foot-3, 355-pound Knighton has made a nice career as a run-stuffing defensive tackle. However, his production was limited with the Washington Redskins last season and the Patriots were not especially impressed with what he brought to the team in the preseason.
The writing was on the wall with Knighton not playing a single snap during the Patriots’ third preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
“Just didn’t work out,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters on Monday. “He came in, worked hard, lost weight, got in good condition, tried to do the things we asked him to do. Just other people ahead of him.”
Knighton figured to play a major role against the run for the Patriots in 2016, but the team felt they simply had better options already on the roster.
Last year’s first-round pick Malcom Brown is set to become a big-time contributor for the team, and he will likely be joined in the starting lineup with veteran Alan Branch. Both Brown and Branch are strong run defenders at the DT position, making Knighton expendable.
On top of that, third-round rookie Vincent Valentine has looked strong in his debut preseason, and veteran Markus Kuhn looks extremely quick and active on the inside. Add in the emergence of the talented Anthony Johnson and the Patriots are stocked with talented on the inside.
Knighton is a stable veteran player who will likely catch on with an NFL team somewhere. However, with a nice stable of players up front, the Patriots did not have a need for his services. Releasing him now is best for both sides.