DL Ricky Jean Francois set to move on from Patriots

Looks like Ricky Jean Francois isn’t coming back to New England.

The veteran defensive lineman released a statement through his own PR firm Friday saying he’s going to be playing elsewhere in 2018. The 31-year-old played six regular-season games and three postseason games with the Patriots this past year.

"I plan on continuing to play at the highest level,” he said. “Hopefully I made a strong case for myself this past season. I did absolutely everything I could to help the Patriots during my short time there, and I learned that playbook immediately. It takes a special type of player and discipline to do that so quickly. My priority right now is to find a stable home where I can step in and make a similar impact for a few more seasons before I ride off into the sunset.

"I'd like to thank Robert Kraft, coach (Bill) Belichick, coach (Matt) Patricia and the Patriots front office for allowing me to be a part of something that not a lot of players get the opportunity to do -- play for the New England Patriots," he added. "Playing in Foxboro made me appreciate this game a lot more. Thank you to everyone there for giving me a great experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life."

Jean Francois had six tackles in six games this past season for New England, and served as a nice stopgap after veteran Alan Branch struggled with injury and ineffectiveness late in the year.

"My NFL journey has been a blessing,” Jean Francois said. “Lots of other people would love to be where I have been. Whenever I get the opportunity to sit back I think about how lucky I've been to be able to be a part of so many successful franchises. Last season, I got to be a part of what New England has and I gained some insight into why they're at the top year after year. Those lessons and continuing to grow and learn help me enjoy football that much more."

So what does this mean for the Patriots?


Jean Francois had played well down the stretch, fundamentally making Branch expendable. Alongside the likes of Malcom Brown, Trey Flowers, Deatrich Wise, Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler, Jean Francois was a very good complementary piece of the defensive puzzle for New England.

But with the loss of Branch — who didn’t have his option picked up — and now Jean Francois, defensive line could be a greater priority for the Patriots this offseason. (It is important to note, however, that some of what Jean Francois did for New England in 2017 could be replicated by youngster Vincent Valentine, who spent all last year on injured reserve.)