Subscribe
Follow Us
The book on the New England Patriots' 2019 NFL Draft class has officially closed.
Offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste has been released, the team announced Thursday. The Patriots initially placed an original-round tender on the offensive tackle earlier this season, but it wasn't a guaranteed contract. With the move, the Patriots cleared $2.743 million in cap space.
Cajuste didn't play much over his four seasons in New England. A quad injury that required surgery forced him to miss his entire rookie season in 2019. In 2020, Cajuste was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury just days ahead of the season opener.
Finally, in 2021, Cajuste saw the field. But the third-round pick mostly played as a reserve, starting in two of the seven games he played in that season. That was also the case in 2022 as he started just three of the 10 games he played in.
Bill Belichick's Doghouse, Volume 1,779
Yodny Cajuste allows a stripsack here at RT. Had started this game and played every snap the prior week. Benched immediately afterwards and played a total of four offensive snaps (two as sixth OL, two kneeldowns) over the final 12 weeks. pic.twitter.com/uyv5thjudx
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) May 23, 2022
Cajuste only played right tackle and wasn't too highly regarded. He gave up four sacks and 16 pressures over 158 pass-blocking snaps in his time with New England, per Pro Football Focus.
The Patriots made some moves at offensive tackle already this offseason. They signed swing tackles Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff. They also drafted Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow, who reportedly will get some reps at offensive tackle ahead of the season.
Patriots offensive tackles (after Yodny Cajuste was waived on Thursday):
🏈Trent Brown
🏈Riley Reiff
🏈Calvin Anderson
🏈Conor McDermott
🏈Andrew Stueber
🏈Sidy Sow (also projects at guard)— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 18, 2023
Cajuste was the last of the 10 players picked by the Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft to be on the Patriots' roster. That draft featured wide receiver N'Keal Harry (picked in the first round), cornerback Joejuan Williams (picked in the second round), running back Damien Harris (picked in the third round), quarterback Jarrett Stidham (picked in the fourth round) and punter Jake Bailey (picked in the fifth round), among others.
Harris, Williams and Bailey were the other players to last in New England for the duration of their rookie contracts as all of them departed this offseason.
