5. LB Dont’a Hightower

This one would be the most shocking considering he’s coming off his second Pro-Bowl. At the same time, there is some sense to it. Hightower has a cap hit of $11.38 million this season. The Patriots would save $9.34 million by releasing the soon-to-be 30-year-old.

The Alabama product seemed to ramp it back up again this year after a couple seasons that had people questioning his longevity in the NFL. Maybe that was because he was reenergized by the level that the rest of the defense was playing at, or maybe it was because he was finally healthy for a full year. Either way, there seems to be some good football left in those cleats.

However, it’s also okay to acknowledge that his cap hit is simply too much for his production. It would be wise for the Patriots to try and see if he’d restructure (something he was unwilling to do last season) or extend out his deal so this year’s hit gets lowered.

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