The New Orleans Saints released veteran defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley after he failed a physical test just before training camp. Multiple sources on Twitter confirmed the news:
#Saints release DT Brodrick Bunkley, who has been battling injury
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) July 28, 2015
Brodrick Bunkley has been released
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) July 28, 2015
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This move shouldn’t surprise a lot of people: Bunkley really struggled to produce on the field over the last two seasons, partially because of injuries that constantly bothered him. In 2013 and 2014, Bunkley managed to total a combined 30 tackles, without producing a single sack over that time span. This past season, the Saints gave up the second-most total yards in the NFL and were ranked 29th in the league against the run.
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Bunkley’s physical status slowed him down a lot and his inability to fully recovered convinced the Saints that it was time to part ways with the veteran. He played three seasons with New Orleans after spending one year with the Denver Broncos (2011) and five years with the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that drafted him with the 14th overall pick of the 2006 NFL draft.
Financially this roster move won’t affect the Saints much:
The #Saints had reworked Bukleys contract this March and paid him $250,000 in exchange for paycut. Cut 4 months later
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) July 28, 2015
What’s next for Bunkley?
First of all he will have to get fully healthy. He’s now 31 years old but once he’s able to reach that status and will be cleared to play he’ll probably get another shot on a one-year deal at the veteran minimum with an NFL team.
What’s next for the Saints?
As previously stated, the release of a player like Bunkley is perhaps not that big of a deal for the Saints. Not only because he didn’t contribute a lot lately but also because the team has a couple of players on the roster that may be ready to step up.
Players such as John Jenkins and Lawrence Virgil will get a chance to fight for the starting job now and don’t forget veteran defensive tackle Kevin Williams, who was signed during the offseason. Be sure to keep an eye on some of the rookies like Tyeler Davison, Bobby Richardson and Kaleb Eulls during training camp.
Next: Saints Roster Breakdown: Tight Ends
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