The Patriots began making cuts Sunday, two days before NFL rosters must be cut down to 75 players, and several veterans are on their way out of Foxboro.
Defensive linemen Tommy Kelly and Will Smith were released as well as linebacker James Anderson.
The release of Kelly comes as something of a surprise as the former Raiders star had been working with the Pats’ first unit defense for much of training camp. The 33-year-old was solid for New England last season as he registered 2.5 sacks and 12 tackles in the five games he played before going down with an ACL injury in an early October game against Cincinnati.
Smith, a former member of the New Orleans Saints, signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in May. He also was recovering from an ACL injury.
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