FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is always good for a surprise or two on cutdown day, and this year is no exception.
League source: the Patriots are planning to move on from RB Jonas Gray, but don't dismiss the idea that he could be traded still.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 5, 2015Jonas Gray was viewed as a "lock" from this perspective, in part because No. 1 option LeGarrette Blount is suspended for the season opener and Gray was held out of the preseason finale with other top players. He also had an impressive 55-yard touchdown run in the preseason opener against the Packers and was viewed as the top candidate to fill Blount's void in the team's "big back" role.
Earlier this year, Gray was viewed as a player who might not be as safe as some assumed, but he seemed to have a solid camp/preseason and that shifted the analysis.
So why would the Patriots move on from Gray?
There is no clear-cut answer, as those close to Gray relay that he was "completely shocked" by the decision.
From a big-picture standpoint, Gray was never able to fully escape from the doghouse he landed in after his unforgettable 201-yard day against the Colts on Oct. 18. Bill Belichick raved about his talent after that game, saying there was consideration before that day of finding a way to get Gray from the practice squad to the active roster.
So my sense is that this decision isn't based primarily on talent, as Gray certainly looked good on that long touchdown run in this year's preseason opener. And it certainly wasn't tied to cost as Gray's salary was manageable ($510,000).
So when a move like this unfolds, it serves as a reminder that there is a lot we don't see on a daily basis when it comes to a football team and how players are viewed by top decision-makers.
How are things going in meetings? Is the player buying into the Bill Belichick-based approach? Has he continued to mature over time?
Maybe the answer falls somewhere in that spectrum of possibilities, because from the outside looking in, it was hard to imagine Gray being cut today based on pure talent alone.
