Patriots Trim Roster To 75; Place DB Darryl Roberts On IR
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots made a handful of roster moves Tuesday afternoon to get their roster down to the league-required 75 players.
The biggest move of the afternoon was placing promising cornerback Darryl Roberts on injured reserve, ending the rookie's season. Roberts, a seventh-round pick out of Marshall, had shown promise throughout camp and started New England's first preseason game against the Packers, but left that game with a hand injury.
The Patriots also placed fullback James Develin on season-ending injured reserve, also placing linebacker Dane Fletcher and defensive lineman Chris Jones on the PUP/Reserve list. Fletcher and Jones are not eligible to return until Week 6.
In addition, the team also released guard Chris Barker and linebacker D.J. Lynch on Tuesday. The Patriots had already released five players on Monday: Wide receivers Josh Boyce and Jonathan Krause, tight end Jimmay Mundine, defensive lineman Joe Vellano and linebacker Dekoda Watson.
Tuesday wasn't just about trimming the roster though. The Patriots also added some more depth to their wide receiving corps, announcing the acquisition of receiver Jalen Saunders in a trade with the New Orleans Saints in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick. The team also claimed rookie receiver DaVaris Daniels off waivers from Minnesota.
Following Thursday's final preseason game, the Patriots will have to trim their roster to 53 players by 4pm on Saturday.
