New England Patriots: Roster Cuts Could Yield Starters for Other NFL Teams

Ten years ago, the New England Patriots could cut players without a whisper. Fast forward through a dynasty of three Super Bowl wins in four years, an undefeated season and eight playoff appearances in a decade, and the Patriots can hardly announce a roster cut before that player receives offers from other teams.

One man's compost heap is another man's treasure trove. 

That's why it was no surprise to hear that Tully Banta-Cain, released by the Patriots just over a month ago, has drawn interest from seven NFL teams according to Aaron Wilson of Scout.com.

I'll say it one more time for effect—seven NFL teams. This is a guy coming off of, and still yet to fully recover from, abdominal surgery. 

Not counting the Patriots, that's almost 23 percent of the league that has kicked the tires on the veteran free agent, who just two years ago logged 10 sacks for the Patriots.

Saturday's roster cuts will likely bring about more starting-quality free agents. The defensive line, an area of weakness for the Patriots in 2010, is one position in particular where the team is expected to let some talented players walk.

It's possible that Gerard Warren, Mike Wright, Mark Anderson or Eric Moore could be cut by 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. When and if they are, don't expect it to be too long before another team rummages through the junkyard looking for spare parts.

The final cut-down weekend is a scrap-heap scrum, where every team sifts through lists of available players that have been cast aside. Many NFL teams will be waiting outside the gates for the tow truck to bring along any spare parts.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz.