Dontrelle Inman Released by Patriots

Overtime Heroics Editorial

2210 days ago

Inman was brought in as a free agent this summer, having formerly played with the Chargers, Bears and Colts. Almost three seasons ago, he posted over 800 receiving yards with the then-San Diego Chargers. His numbers since then? A combined 647 yards split between the Chargers, Bears and Colts. But why wasn’t he a fit with New England, who, over the years, has become notable for finding struggling players and turning them into gold?

With Josh Gordon being reinstated by the NFL on Sunday, the Patriots had 91 men on the roster. Per NFL rules, you’re only allowed 90 men rosters before the cut-down date. That being said, the Patriots had to release a player from the roster to comply with the rules. That player wound up being Dontrelle Inman.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 29: Aaron Colvin #22 of the Jacksonville Jaguars tackles Dontrelle Inman #15 of the San Diego Chargers in the second quarter at EverBank Field on November 29, 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

When Inman first came over in free agency, there was an understandable hype around him. The Patriots receiving core wasn’t exactly strong and Inman posed as a solid option for the Patriots as a third or fourth receiver. However, in Patriots OTAs, he didn’t catch a single pass. He quickly went from a high-upside depth receiver to firmly on the roster bubble. Early in camp, he continued his struggles. He continuously lost battles in 1-on-1, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 play. Thus he moved from being on the bubble to a longshot. He started to pick up the pace this past week of camp, but receivers like Maurice Harris, Braxton Berrios, Phillip Dorsett and Jakobi Meyers further separated themselves from Inman.

Inman finished training camp with 6 catches on 10 targets in 11-on-11 work. That was the third-lowest targets for a receiver, ahead of only Danny Etling (3) and Ryan Davis (3). His 6 catches were also the third-lowest among receivers.

all camp stats via Zack Cox

In Conclusion

That leaves the Patriots with 13 receivers on the 90-man roster. Of those 13, six are currently injured. Among the healthy 7 are Gordon and a bunch of roster bubble players. The Patriots need to get some injured receivers back, or they’re in for a tough beginning of the season.

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