Quarterback Bailey Zappe was 2-0 as a starter for the New England Patriots last season. John Amis/Associated Press
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In a stunning move, the Patriots cut Bailey Zappe on Tuesday afternoon, according to multiple reports, and also released Malik Cunningham after Trace McSorely was cut on Monday.
The second-year quarterback Zappe underwhelmed this summer, but was still expected to serve as the backup to Mac Jones in 2023. With Cunningham also released and McSorely cut, that leaves Mac Jones as the lone quarterback left on the roster.
The Patriots are hoping to get both Zappe and Cunningham to the practice squad, per another source, but they’ll have to clear waivers to get there.
In New England’s preseason finale at Tennessee, Zappe was lifted in the third quarter, but then reinserted and finished the game. Playing late in the final preseason game is usually an indicator that a player is on unsteady footing, but Coach Bill Belichick didn’t give that thought much credence when asked about the odd quarterback rotation.
“We wanted to give Trace (McSorley) some snaps as well, earlier in the game, not just wait until the end, and then we played Malik a little bit too,” Belichick said. “It was mostly a Bailey game, but we wanted to give the other two quarterbacks some opportunities as well.”
Cunningham played both quarterback and wide receiver over the course of the preseason. He recorded 19 passing yards on 3-of-6 passing. He has rushed the football six times for 39 yards and a touchdown. As a receiver, he did not catch a pass. In order to add to his value, Belichick utilized Cunningham on special teams as both a gunner and returner. It still wasn’t enough to make the cut.
Belichick had given Cunningham a nice review when speaking in a radio interview on Monday.
“Malik is a really interesting player. Kid never played receiver before or returned kicks, and he’s done both,” said Belichick. “As well as playing quarterback. He certainly has some things on his resume. So do other players. We’ll see how all that plays out.”
FOLK TRADED: After engaging in discussions for Nick Folk earlier on Tuesday, the Patriots decided to trade their kicker, according to multiple reports, sending the 38-year-old to the Tennessee Titans with the Patriots receiving a 2025 seventh-round pick in return.
The kicker battle was “competitive” all throughout training camp, and Coach Bill Belichick never ruled out the possibility of keeping two kickers on the roster.
Folk appeared in 57 games over the last four seasons with the Patriots. He made 89.3% (108 of 121) of his field goal attempts, including 58 of 58 from inside 40 yards. He had incredible consistency while in New England and came in clutch several times. His leg lost steam over time, but his accuracy never seemed to suffer.
Folk’s departure paves the way for rookie Chad Ryland to be New England’s kicker for the 2023 season. The Patriots drafted Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 draft after trading up with the New York Jets to select the special teamer out of Maryland.
Ryland is the highest-drafted kicker (No. 112 overall) in the Belichick era, and will now get a chance to make an immediate impact for the Patriots as they look to bounce back from an 8-9 record in 2022. Despite being a bit inconsistent throughout camp, he has a strong leg that clearly gave Belichick and company enough reason to keep him on the roster.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE Calvin Anderson was at practice Tuesday, indicating he’s been activated from the non-football injury list.
The Patriots had signed Anderson as a free agent to bolster the tackle position, only the former Bronco has been on the non-football injury list and unable to practice since the start of training camp.
His return, coupled with the Patriots adding a couple of offensive tackles (Tyrone Wheatley Jr., Vederian Lowe) in trades over the weekend, should bolster the position going forward.
The veteran backup spent the last four seasons with the Broncos. He played in 41 games and made 12 starts during his time in Denver.
The Patriots signed Anderson and Riley Reiff as right tackle options in free agency. Reiff, who spent the past few weeks at right guard, is currently dealing with an injury. The team has also used rookie Sidy Sow at tackle, converting him from guard. Conor McDermott also saw time at right tackle, but he’s injured as well.
As it stands, Trent Brown will start at left tackle, with any number of possibilities – be it Anderson, Lowe, Wheatley or Sow – now in play on the right side. Anderson, Lowe or Wheatley could also backup on the left side.
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