FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots released rookie punter/kicker Cody Scates and rookie long snapper Brian Sawyer today. The team also placed third-round draft pick Guss Scott on the reserve/ injured list.
Scates and Sawyer were both signed by the Patriots as undrafted free agents on April 29, 2004. Scates, 22, attended Texas A&M, where the 6-foot-1-inch, 197-pound punter logged 202 career punts for 8,397 yards (41.6 avg.), with 57 boots downed inside the 20-yard line. In the 2004 preseason, Scates recorded six punts for a total of 248 yards (41.3 avg.), while playing in all three of New England's preseason games. Sawyer, 23, made every special teams snap for Florida State in his four seasons in Tallahassee while playing in 52 consecutive games for the Seminoles. The 6-foot-2-inch, 250-pounder had seen action in all three of the Patriots' preseason games in 2004.
Scott, 22, suffered a knee injury in the Patriots' preseason game at Cincinnati on Aug. 21, 2004. The Patriots drafted him in the third round (95th overall) of the 2004 NFL draft and signed with New England on July 30. The 5-foot-10-inch, 205-pound safety attended the University of Florida and started 25 of 26 games in his final two years for the Gators. During those two years, he was credited with 193 tackles, seven forced fumbles and four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. He finished his collegiate career with a school-record 11 forced fumbles and was credited with 310 career tackles, including 13.5 tackles for losses.
