NFL Free Agents 2011: New England Patriots Will Release Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain

A few days after news breaking that outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain will be sidelined for four-to-five weeks due to his recent abdominal surgery, the New England Patriots have informed Banta-Cain that they will release him this Thursday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. 

Banta-Cain recorded five sacks last season for the Patriots and was a rather disappointing, as he tallied up nine sacks the year before and was projected to be the team's top pass rusher—which he was not. 

As of right now, the Patriots currently have Jermaine Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich and Eric Moore on their active roster, which should indicate that the Patriots will be in search of a outside linebacker via free agency.

There a few pass rushers that could fit New England's 3-4 defense and be immediately impacts such as Charles Johnson, Marcus Spears and Matt Roth. 

In my opinion, Roth appears to be a guy that New England will target, as he's a product of Nick Saban's 3-4 defense due to his time as a Dolphin and has also lined up in Eric Mangini's 3-4 in Cleveland. 

Roth recorded four sacks last season for the Browns but still has yet to "peak" with his pass rushing ability. 

Banta-Cain wasn't a great pass rusher and could be an addition by subtraction in that matter, but he will be missed in New England's special teams game. However, the 30-year-old has shown signs of inconsistency, and Bill Belichick may simply believe that Banta-Cain is not going to develop into the player that the Patriots thought he was. 

The transaction cannot be made official until Thursday, but Tully Banta-Cain is no longer a New England Patriot. 

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