FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Every roster move made by an NFL team has a domino effect, and with this in mind, Tuesday's news that New England Patriots wide receiver Andrew Hawkins is retiring sparked the following question: Which players could potentially benefit most from the decision?
Undrafted rookie Austin Carr, the Big Ten receiver of the year in 2016, comes to mind as a top candidate.
To begin, Hawkins was viewed to be on the bubble to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, as his situation was called a "wild card" because his chances of sticking might have been tied to the health of other receivers ahead of him on the depth chart.