Before the 2011 NFL season began, the New England Patriots were thought to have made two of the biggest and most impactful moves in the league. With the addition of Pro Bowlers Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco, the Patriots made considerable upgrades on both sides of the football field.

Even though Haynesworth was a questionable addition due to his attitude and off the field issues, the Patriots’ defense was in desperate need of a boost in order to contain opposing offenses. The Patriots never really had a problem on the offensive side of the football with arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time in Tom Brady and multiple offensive weapons.

Unfortunately, the Patriots had a big hole at wide receiver with no real downfield threat without Randy Moss. With that being said, New England tried to address that problem with the addition of six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.

Despite Ochocinco still having some fight left in him and the distinction as one of the best wideouts in the league, the perennial Pro Bowler never really caught on with the Patriots and now has been released by New England.

Reportedly, the Patriots tried to trade the 34-year-old veteran receiver before ultimately deciding to simply release him.

With the acquisitions of Brandon Lloyd, Anthony Gonzalez, Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth, the Patriots no longer needed Ochocinco on the roster. Even though some speculated that the veteran wideout might be able to redeem himself next season, New England decided to cut their losses which comes as no surprise.

Now that Ochocinco is officially a free agent, there might be a few teams around the league that will show interest in signing him to a one-year deal for next season. It is uncertain which teams will show some interest, but there’s bound to be one or two.

Related News

• NFL Trade: Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth get dealt to the New England Patriots
• New England Patriots keep veteran wideout Chad Ochocinco
• Miami Dolphins cut Chad Johnson after arrest for domestic violence
• Veteran Wideout Plaxico Burress Tries Out for New England Patriots
• New England Patriots sign Rob Gronkowski to Six-Year contract extension