Report: Patriots Released 'Disrespectful And Irresponsible' Easley Amid Numerous Off-Field Issues
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The red flags surrounding former Patriots defensive tackle Dominique Easley were mostly related to serious injuries when New England drafted him 29th overall in 2014. But the reasons for the Patriots' surprise release of Easley, leaving themselves on the hook for some of his remaining contract, mostly involved problems off the field.
A blistering report by Ben Volin of the Boston Globe on Wednesday said the Patriots, who still owe Easley just over $1 million in guaranteed money and by releasing him increased his cap number for 2016, are "essentially paying Easley to go away." Volin spoke with several sources who painted a picture of a man who "struggled with maturity and his responsibilities of being a professional athlete." One of Easley's former Patriots teammates even called the oft-injured pass rusher a "locker room cancer."
Former Patriots beat writer Shalize Manza-Young piled on, saying one source said of Easley, "He's a turd."
Volin's report includes a story that goes all the way back to Easley's 2014 rookie minicamp, where the DT arrived with several injuries sustained when his pet pitbull bit him (and others). The injuries happened before the draft and Easley did not inform any teams of them prior to Draft Day, according to Volin.
Other league sources called Easley "unreliable," "immature," and "disrespectful and irresponsible." One source said he would "make an appointment for a massage [with team trainers] and not show up."
Much of the narrative surrounding Easley's immaturity and disrespectful attitude in the locker room was actually connected to his deep injury history, which has only grown in his two years in the NFL. Several sources indicated that he would routinely ignore the advice of team doctors and trainers and instead "do his own thing" when it came to rehabbing his injuries. Easley suffered tears to both ACLs before even entering the NFL, and ended up on IR in each of his two seasons with the Patriots.
It's clear that Easley's release was not related to his performance on the field, when he was healthy; Pro Football Focus graded him among the best interior pass rushers in the league and he certainly flashed some of the first-round ability the Patriots saw when they drafted him. However, now that these numerous negative reports are popping up, it's becoming apparent that the prospect of Easley's on-field talent was not great enough to off-set the locker room headaches.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
