By Keegan Stiefel
3 hours before
The Tennessee Titans’ decision to cut four players on Wednesday got a lot of people thinking. New England Patriots fans, especially.
Tennessee reportedly cut wide receiver Robert Woods, kicker Randy Bullock and linebacker Zach Cunningham in an effort to cut costs. More than $38 million In the cap room, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
In need of an upgrade at tackle, the Patriots were immediately linked to Eleven as a potential player to hit the scrap heap this offseason. However, New England fans may want to check out one of the other cuts.
Cunningham, who played in just 10 games over two seasons with the Titans, was once a favorite of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
At Cunningham’s pro day in 2017, when the linebacker was coming out of Vanderbilt, Belichick took control of a pre-draft workout and gave it to the Commodore. One-on-one instruction. Cunningham will participate in a film session with Belichick before working out.
“Being in the same room as a guy that I watched growing up, him grilling me and asking me questions about our defense and everything, it was definitely a crazy experience for me,” Cunningham told NESN’s Zach at his pro day. Cox.
The Patriots didn’t get a chance to draft Cunningham because he was taken 26 spots (No. 57 overall to the Houston Texans) before the Patriots’ first pick in that draft. Cunningham would play well for the Texans, eventually signing a four-year, $58 million extension that would be released in 2021 before signing with the Titans.
The Patriots didn’t make a move for him then, but now they have another chance to grab Cunningham. New England has really built a solid core of linebackers, but could certainly use another off-ball option alongside Jawan Bentley.
Coming at a cheaper price, the third time could be the charm for the Belichick-Cunningham union.