BOSTON (CBS) — The Patriots releasing Jonathan Fanene is an interesting topic. Are they going to go after the $3.85 million in signing bonus? If they do, will they get it?

Here’s the problem.

If this was a trade, then the Pats would have been able to go after the Cincinnati Bengals, his last team, for keeping the condition a secret. This, though, was the Patriots signing a free agent, so it was up to them to do their homework and find out if there was anything wrong with Fanene. Bad knees are something that every player in the NFL has but arthritic knees is something the Pats medical staff should have picked up on.

Fanene  may have been asked about his knees but if he wasn’t specifically asked about certain conditions, then he did not lie to the Pats and he’s keeping his money. If it turns out that he held back information and the Patriots’ medical staff was direct in their questioning, then they should get their cash back.

What this does is open up a spot on the Patriots roster. Rookies Jake Bequette and Justin Francis have had time to shine, and Gerard Warren may have been on the bubble and now there is a good possibility that he may stay.

The word around the league in the medical rooms is “Don’t get Fanene’d.”

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