Each NFL team's offseason is filled with small moves and marginal personnel decisions. Sometimes that series of small moves will build a winner. But a big, bold move can dramatically improve talent at an important position or change the overall direction of the franchise.
In this series, Football Outsiders goes division by division to suggest a bold move that each team could make to get better this offseason, either in the short or long term. Pieces may refer to Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) metric, which takes every play during the season and compares it to a baseline adjusted for situation and opponent. It is explained further here.
New England Patriots: Cut Vince Wilfork
As Pete Carroll decided whether to run or pass late in Super Bowl XLIX, he had little reason to fear Wilfork and the Patriots' short-yardage run defense. In 2014, the Patriots were the worst team in the league in Power Success, allowing opposing offenses to convert 22 of 27 runs (81 percent) in important short-yardage situations (third or fourth down with 2 yards or less to go and first- or second-and-goal from the 2-yard-line or closer).
