One safety in, one safety out.
Three days after selecting Kyle Dugger in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots informed Obi Melifonwu of his release, according to a report Monday from ESPN’s Field Yates.
Melifonwu, a second-round pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2017, joined the Patriots midway through the 2018 season but played sparingly, appearing in two games for the team in 2018 and none in 2019. The 6-foot-3, 224-pound UConn product began last season on New England’s practice squad before being moved to injured reserve in November.
Even if New England hadn’t drafted a player at his position, Melifonwu would have had a difficult time earning a roster spot this summer given the Patriots’ depth at safety. They traded pseudo-starter Duron Harmon to the Detroit Lions last month but added Adrian Phillips and Cody Davis in free agency to join incumbents Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Terrence Brooks. Malik Gant and Adarius Pickett also will battle for spots after spending last season on IR and the practice squad, respectively.
New England, who needed to clear space on their 90-man roster to sign their undrafted free agents, also reportedly released defensive end Keionta Davis on Sunday.
