Patriots Cut Candidates: Hunter Henry?

Analytically speaking, Hunter Henry had a rough go at it in his second season with the New England Patriots.

Will Hunter Henry be tracking down a new team this offseason?

That's what the prognosticators at Pro Football Focus believe in their forecast on the New England Patriots' offseason. If the team cuts Henry at any point in 2023, they'll automatically save over $10 million against the salary cap, which would place them into the top five of teams with the most available cap.

PFF hints that Henry could still have a place in Foxboro if returning offensive boss Bill O'Brien believes that his continued collaboration with fellow veteran Jonnu Smith would allow "various different personnel groupings and (help) to get an anemic Matt Patricia-led offense back on track." Then again, the potential of an extra $10 million-plus to work with would no doubt allow the Patriots further opportunities and resources to help an offense that placed 26th in the NFL last season.

Henry, working through the second year of a three-season, $37.5 million contract bestowed in March 2021 after five years with San Diego/Los Angeles, earned 509 yards on 41 receptions last season but PFF's analytical scores were far less kind, bestowing him the receiving (61.4) and run-blocking (48.3) grades of his career. Henry becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and the Patriots would eat $5 million in dead money upon his departure.

While New England has yet to reap the full benefits of the Henry/Smith tandem, Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski believes that O'Brien could be the spark that ignites the fire necessary to stabilize an offense still searching for lasting consistency sans Tom Brady.

“His football knowledge is through the roof,” Gronkowski said in lauding O'Brien. "I believe that he’s definitely going to restore the Patriot faithful on the offense side of the ball ... I think they’re definitely going to improve as an offense tremendously under coach O’Brien ... That’s who they needed to get to restore to back in the old day where they were at on the offensive side of the ball and they got their guy,”

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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