The New England Patriots have cut ties with another one of the final draft selections from the Bill Belichick era.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the New England Patriots plan to waive offensive lineman Andrew Stueber after two seasons. The Michigan product was a seventh-round pick (245th overall) by the Pats in 2022.
The Patriots’ 2022 draft class hasn’t yielded promising results up to this point, and the waiving of Stueber is just the latest example. The team has already moved on from 2022 fourth-round picks Jack Jones and Pierre Strong Jr. and guard Chasen Hines, a sixth-round pick.
Though he was on New England’s roster for two seasons, Stueber never played an NFL snap for the organization. Late in the 2023 season, Stueber was waived before being assigned to New England’s practice squad.
Playoff Tommy 🔥@TomBrady | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/A05T78GQWY
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 3, 2024
This offseason, New England also bid farewell to other notable names such as offensive tackle Trent Brown (signed with the Cincinnati Bengals), running back Ezekiel Elliott (returned to the Dallas Cowboys), quarterback Mac Jones (traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars), tight end Mike Gesicki (signed with Cincinnati) and linebacker Mack Wilson (signed with the Arizona Cardinals).
A Fresh Start For The New England Patriots
2024 will mark the first season in New England without Belichick on the sidelines since 1999. Jerod Mayo was promoted to the head coaching position following Belichick’s departure, with executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf taking over the front office.
Belichick may be the greatest coach in NFL history, but it became obvious that he had overstayed his welcome in Foxborough. He wasn’t able to put together a capable roster or coaching staff after Tom Brady’s departure, and the organization needed an overhaul from top to bottom.
So Wolf and Mayo are now running the operation, with third overall pick Drake Maye replacing Jones as the starting QB. We’ll see if the changes manage to pay off as New England ushers into a new era.