Alfonzo Dennard is shown the door by the Patriots
The fate of Alonzo Dennard was sealed when he assaulted the police officer in Lincoln, NE. If you add the parole violation for suspicion of driving under the influence, you have an open and shut case. And your walking papers from the New England Patriots.
Mike Reiss, ESPN:
Dennard didn't have the standard offseason prior to the 2014 season, in part because he was serving 35 days of a possible 60-day sentence following a violation of his probation stemming from an April 2012 arrest.
Dennard joined the Patriots as a 2012 seventh-round draft choice. He was a low-risk, high-reward selection in the sense that he was supposed to be drafted earlier but plummeted because of an off-field incident a few days before the draft.
Jeff Howe, Boston Herald:
Dennard showed flashes of potential with a physical style, but he peaked as a rookie and struggled with consistency the rest of the way.
Members of the Patriots have routinely questioned his work ethic and commitment to the game, too. That led to a host of issues that kept him out of 19 regular-season games in that stretch. Last season alone, Dennard was a healthy scratch seven times, missed two games with a shoulder injury and was eventually placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He missed three games with knee and shoulder injuries in 2013 and six games with hamstring and knee injuries in 2012.
The head coach of the New England Patriots Bill Belichick sent a letter to the court attesting to the cornerback's character. Lancaster County District Judge Stephanie Stacy sentenced Alfonzo Dennard to jail for a felony charge and a misdemeanor for resisting arrest. Dennard could have faced up to five years in prison for the officer assault and up to a year for resisting arrest. He was acquitted of third degree assault
The New England Patriots did not select a cornerback in the 2015 NFL Draft until the seventh round. That selection was Darryl Roberts from Marshall University. Roberts was a seventh-round pick who put up eye-popping numbers at Marshall’s pro day, including an impressive 3-cone time. Things are pretty bad when a three year veteran is released for a guy who is good at cones.
After three years, it appears the Patriots are the only one giving maximum effort. It is safe to say that the New England Patriots crossed OT La'el Collins of Louisiana State University off their potential free agent signing sheet, too. La'el is a person of interest to Louisiana authorities in the murder of Britney Mills, his former girlfriend. If Collins is cleared of any wrongdoing, his NFL options are limited.
I think the Patriots have spent all the time they want in the courtroom.
Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire. .
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