The New England Patriots cut a player to free up a roster spot. Here's why.
Yesterday, the Patriots cut linebacker Tony Steward and opened up one roster spot. New England currently has 88 players under contract, with rookie third round pick Jacoby Brissett still negotiating his contract. The final spot is possibly for a veteran free agent.
May 12th marks the first date where free agents can sign without counting against a team's compensatory pick calculations for 2017, per Pro Football Talk. 2017 will mark the first year that teams can trade compensatory picks, meaning their value has greatly increased.