1-2 punch: Seymour out for first 6 weeks
Already reeling from the news they won't have safety Rodney Harrison, who was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy, the Patriots announced yesterday they will be without Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour for the first six weeks.
The team placed Seymour, who had offseason knee surgery, on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and released 21 players, including quarterback Vinny Testaverde, as part of its moves to get down to the 53-man roster limit. The Patriots' roster currently stands at 53, but the team could add two more players, as Harrison does not count against the limit and the NFL granted a roster exemption for Asante Samuel that runs through Sept. 10 or until he's activated.
Seymour must sit out the first six weeks of the season and then is eligible to begin practicing again with the team. Once he starts practicing, the team has 21 days to activate him or place him on injured reserve, ending his season. It wasn't all bad news, as tight end David Thomas, who is recovering from a broken foot, was activated from the training camp PUP list.
A breakdown of the Patriots roster:
Quarterbacks (3): The Patriots elected to go with three quarterbacks - Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, and Matt Gutierrez. They released the 43-year-old Testaverde rather than risk losing Gutierrez while trying to get him to the practice squad.
Running backs (4): The lone cut was rookie Quinton Smith. Laurence Maroney is still the feature back, Kevin Faulk the third-down back, and Sammy Morris and Heath Evans the backups.
Wide receivers (6): Rumors had begun to percolate during the day that the team was planning on releasing Randy Moss, who has not practiced since Aug. 1. That proved false, as New England kept Moss, Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth, Kelley Washington, Jabar Gaffney, and Reche Caldwell. The Patriots will have a decision to make if or when Troy Brown (knee) and Chad Jackson (torn ACL) are ready to come off PUP. The versatile Bam Childress, who was cut along with Chris Dunlap, C.J. Jones, and Kelvin Kight, still has practice squad eligibility.
Tight ends (3): Cutting Brian Jones was a no-brainer, but Marcellus Rivers and Garrett Mills were victims of the improved health of Thomas and Kyle Brady. Thomas and Brady join Ben Watson.
Offensive linemen (9): First-year players Mike Elgin, Corey Hilliard, and Clint Oldenburg all could end up on the practice squad after being cut along with Gene Mruczkowski. Russ Hochstein who was hurt playing fullback in the second exhibition game, survived. He joins a group that will have Matt Light (left tackle), Logan Mankins (left guard), Dan Koppen (center), Stephen Neal (right guard), and most likely Nick Kaczur (right tackle) as starters. Ryan O'Callaghan, Wesley Britt, and Billy Yates loom as backups.
Defensive linemen (6): Even without Seymour this is a strong group. Vince Wilfork anchors the middle with Ty Warren and Jarvis Green at the end spots. Mike Wright and Le Kevin Smith can play end or nose tackle. Rookie Kareem Brown made the cut. Nose tackles Rashad Moore and Zach West and defensive end Santonio Holmes were jettisoned.
Linebackers (8): The team placed promising rookie Oscar Lua (torn medial collateral knee ligament) on injured reserve, ending his season. Veteran Chad Brown, rookie Justin Rogers, and Corey Mays all got their walking papers, leaving Adalius Thomas, Tedy Bruschi, Junior Seau, Eric Alexander, and Larry Izzo inside and Mike Vrabel, Pierre Woods, and Rosevelt Colvin outside.
Defensive backs (*11) - Harrison's suspension means there are really 10. The other safeties on the roster are Eugene Wilson, who was hurt in the third exhibition game, James Sanders, Willie Andrews, Mel Mitchell, and Rashad Baker, who is expected back from a broken hand in two weeks. First-round pick Brandon Meriweather can also play safety and cornerback Randall Gay has experience there, as well. The top two corners are Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs. Veteran corner Tory James made the cut, but Dante Wesley did not. Neither did Boston College's Larry Anam.
Specialists (3): Kicker Stephen Gostkowski and long-snapper Lonie Paxton are back and Chris Hanson is the punter. 