FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced that they have released TE Martellus Bennett and WR Bernard Reedy.
Bennett,31,* *was claimed off waivers and awarded to New England from Green Bay on Nov. 9, 2017, after being released on November 8 from the Packers. He played in seven games and finished with 24 receptions for 233 yards for the Packers. The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder played in two games as a reserve for the Patriots in 2017 and caught six passes for 53 yards. Bennett has played in 144 games with 107 starts and has registered 433 receptions for 4,573 yards with 30 touchdowns in 10 seasons. He has also appeared in five postseason contests with four starts and compiled 14 receptions for 125 yards.
Bennett spent the 2016 season with New England after being acquired in a trade with Chicago in exchange for a 2016 fourth round draft pick on March 17, 2016. In 2016 with the Patriots, he played in all 16 games with 12 starts and finished with 55 receptions for 701 yards with seven touchdowns in the regular season. He also started all three postseason games, including Super Bowl LI, and added 11 receptions for 98 yards.
Reedy, 26, was originally signed by New England to the practice squad on Nov. 22, 2017. He was elevated to the 53-man roster on December 2, before being released on December 13, and re-signed to the practice squad on December 19. Reedy was released from the practice squad on January 3. He was then re-signed to the 53-man roster on Jan. 17, 2018 but was inactive for two postseason games.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder appeared in two games with the Patriots as a returner last season and totaled 32 yards on four punt returns. Reedy previously played in nine games in 2017 for Tampa Bay and caught two passes for 21 yards and accrued 17 yards on three rushing attempts before being released on November 17. Reedy originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Atlanta Falcons on May 12, 2014, out of Toledo. He spent his rookie season on the Atlanta practice squad and was released at the end of training camp on Sept. 2, 2015. Reedy signed with Tampa Bay on Feb. 5, 2016, and was released prior to the start of the regular season on September 7. He signed with the Tampa Bay practice squad on December 6, and was added to the 53-man roster on December 21. He was inactive for the final two games of the regular season that year.
