FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots released veteran cornerback Duane Starks today.
Starks, 31, was acquired by the Patriots from the Arizona Cardinals on March 4, 2005 along with a fifth-round choice in the 2005 NFL Draft (145th overall) in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft (95th overall) and a fifth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft (168th overall). The 5-foot-10-inch, 174-pound cornerback is a veteran of eight NFL seasons and has played in 94 career games with 68 starts. His career totals include 313 tackles, 25 interceptions, 96 passes defensed, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Last season, Starks played in seven games for the Patriots with six starts before being placed on injured reserve on Nov. 10, 2005.
Starks was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round (10th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. Besides the Patriots, Starks has also played for the Baltimore Ravens (1998-2001) and the Arizona Cardinals (2002-04).