Patriots Prune Roster, Cut Branch

The Patriots made some surprising cuts today as they trim their roster down to 53. They let go of Deion Branch, backup QB Brian Hoyer, veteran lineman Dan Koppen, and UMass DB James Ihedigbo.

Cutting Branch surprises me, especially after the Pats parted ways with Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney. Branch seemed to have the #3 WR spot to himself, behind Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd on the depth chart.

Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if this were some way to reduce Branch's guaranteed money or something. Cut him, then sign him back. The Pats do stuff like this. If Branch really wasn't up to the Pats' standards, why wait until today to release him?

I'm surprised to see Hoyer cut. The Patriots might want to replace him with a veteran. If Brady gets hurt and misses an extended portion of the season, the Pats are essentially sunk. But if it's just a few games or half a game, then a veteran is preferable.

Does the release of Dan Koppen mean that Brian Waters is back? If Waters isn't back, the Patriots need Koppen. So maybe this cut signifies that they don't need him because Waters will play.

I don't fully understand these moves, but I have faith in the Patriots and Belichick.

PATRIOTS OFF-SEASON THOUGHTS: OFFENSIVE LINE

Although the offensive line seemed to fall apart in the Super Bowl, it was one of the biggest strengths the Patriots had. All season, they protected Brady, giving him enough time to make deep passes down the field. Three members of the offensive line were selected to the Pro Bowl, two of which were named starters.

The O-Line should remain mostly intact through the off-season. None of the 5 starters are free agents, and backup center/guard Russ Hochstein will also be back.

One concern I have is that Matt Light was consistently beat by aggressive upfield running ends such as Michael Strahan. He wasn't just beat on the outside, but inside as well. This isn't a big deal, as many left tackles are beat by quick defensive ends, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Patriots were on the lookout for a stud offensive lineman to beef up the position.

But with the salary cap being the way it is, and holes needing to be addressed at other positions, I think it's safe to say that Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, and Nick Kaczur will be the starting 5 offensive linemen in 2008.