Alongside every team throughout the NFL, the New England Patriots cut their roster from 80 players to 53 prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. This all comes after a full summer and three preseason contests that Bill Belichick and the rest of the coaching staff had to lean on when coming to a decision on if a player stays on the roster to begin the 2021 regular season or is shown the door.
All in all, the Patriots have made some pretty seismic moves, but none bigger than the release of quarterback Cam Newton. Once looked at as the favorite to be New England's Week 1 starter, the veteran quarterback has since been shipped out of Foxborough with rookie Mac Jones now slated to start out of the gate. As for Brian Hoyer being released, that should be looked at as more of a procedural move and he'll in all likelihood be Jones' backup throughout the 2021 season.
Meanwhile, All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore will begin the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning he will miss the first six weeks of the season.
With cutdown day concluded, here's a full list of the players that the Patriots have let go.
Released/Waived by Patriots
DT Akeem Spence (via Doug Kyed of PFF)
QB Cam Newton (via Jim McBride of The Boston Globe)
WR Isaiah Zuber (via Mike Reiss of ESPN)
CB Myles Bryant (via Doug Kyed of PFF)
OL Alex Redmond (via Jeff Howe of The Athletic)
TE Matt LaCosse (via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal)
CB D'Angelo Ross (via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal)
WR Kristian Wilkerson (via Evan Lazar of CLNS Media)
CB Dee Virgin (via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal)
OL Will Sherman (via Mike Reiss of ESPN)
DL Bill Murray (via Doug Kyed of PFF)
WR Tre Nixon (via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald)
S Adrian Colbert (announced on social media)
DT Montravius Adams
K Nick Folk
QB Brian Hoyer
DT Nick Thurman
OLB Tashawn Bower
OT Koerey Cunningham
CB Michael Jackson
C James Ferentz
The Mac Jones era begins in New England after the stunning Cam Newton release. How will the rookie perform this season? Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest news, insights, and surprising predictions from our team of experts. If you already have the app, make sure to favorite the Patriots to get the latest news quickly.
