FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced the release of veteran wide receiver Donald Hayes today.
Hayes, 27, was signed by the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent on March 12, 2002 after four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. The 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound receiver caught 12 passes for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Patriots last season.
He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL draft out of Wisconsin. In those four seasons with the Panthers, he started 31 of 51 games and caught 132 passes for 1,855 yards and 7 touchdowns.