The Patriots released third year receiver Malcolm Mitchell yesterday. After shopping Mitchell last week, the Patriots found no takers and chose to release the 2016 fourth round pick out of Georgia.

After catching 32 passes and scoring four touchdowns as a rookie and playing an integral part in the Patriots run to the Super Bowl, Mitchell missed all of last season due to a knee injury.

An inability to stay healthy was the primary reason the Patriots decided to move on. Mitchell’s game is predicated on speed and stretching the field. He couldn’t do that as effectively because of his injury and the Patriots decided to cut their losses.

The Patriots are already thin at receiver thanks in large part to Julian Edelman’s impending four game suspension and injuries to Jordan Matthews and Kenny Britt. The team did sign veteran Eric Decker to a one year deal last week.

Despite the lack of depth at receiver, you cannot blame the Patriots for moving on from Mitchell. Your best ability in the NFL is your availability. Mitchell just couldn’t stay healthy and as a result, the Patriots couldn’t commit to him long term. In the end, they had no choice but to release him.