NFL Free Agency: Chris Long done with the New England Patriots

Defensive End Chris Long accomplished his dream of winning a Super Bowl while with the New England Patriots. Now it seems he is moving on to another team.

Veteran defensive end Chris Long was able to taste the NFL Playoffs for the first time as a member of the 2016 New England Patriots. He played an important situational pass rushing role with the eventual Super Bowl Champions in New England. However, it seems that he has turned the page on his time with the Patriots.

Long took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce that he will not be returning to the Patriots for another season. While he was appreciative of his limited role with New England, Long clearly wants to have more playing time now that he is a Super Bowl champion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRG1oioh0E1/

Though never a Pro Bowler for the then St. Louis Rams, Long had been a staple in the Rams pass rush the previous eight seasons before arriving in New England. The Rams cut Long and a few other veterans before their big move to Los Angeles last spring.

Long will be 32 years old for the 2017 NFL season. Though he’s not an every-down pass rusher any more, Long can absolutely help a viable NFL team get pressure on the opposing quarterback. He has 58.5 career sacks after being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Virginia.

Long would want a bigger pay day than the cool $2.375 million he made with the Patriots. However, he has not been a highly productive player since recording 8.5 sacks with the 2013 Rams.

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Teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers could be interested in Long’s services. For the right price, he could make any of these teams’ pass rushes better. It’ll be interesting to see where Long ends up signing in 2017.