FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots made a series of roster moves in advance of tomorrow's NFL mandatory NFL cut-down to a 75-man roster. The Patriots released five players: WR Josh Boyce, WR Jonathan Krause, TE Jimmay Mundine, DL Joe Vellano and LB Dekoda Watson.
Boyce, 24, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round (102nd overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Texas Christian. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder, played in nine games with three starts as a rookie in 2013 and caught nine passes for 121 yards and returned nine kicks for 214 yards. Last season, Boyce began the season on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Dec. 27. He played in the regular-season finale vs. Buffalo but did not record any statistics. He was inactive for all three postseason games.
Krause, 23, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Cleveland Browns out of Vanderbilt in 2014. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder, was released by Cleveland prior to the start of the regular season and joined the New England practice squad last October.
Mundine, 23, was signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent out of Kansas on June 11, 2015. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder, played in 45 games with 19 starts at tight end and closed his career as Kansas' third-ranked tight end in terms of yards and receptions with 1,082 yards on 86 receptions.
Vellano, 26, originally joined the Patriots as a rookie free agent out of Maryland on May 3, 2013. The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder, made the 53-man roster as a rookie and played in 16 games with eight starts and also played in both postseason games that season. He finished the year with 48 total tackles and two sacks. Vellano began the 2014 season on the 53-man roster and then was part of the practice squad before being re-signed to the 53-man roster in the postseason. He played in five games with one start in the regular season and also saw action in the AFC Championship Game vs. Indianapolis. He finished the 2014 season with six total tackles and one sack.
Watson, 27, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on May 12, 2015. The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder, has played in 70 NFL games, with seven starts, and has registered 120 tackles, three sacks, one interception, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries during his five-year NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2010-13), Jacksonville Jaguars (2014) and Dallas Cowboys (2014). Last season, he began the season with Jacksonville and appeared in nine games with one start. He posted nine tackles before being released on Nov. 11, 2014, and signing with Dallas on Nov. 14, 2014. He played in one game for the Cowboys, but did not accrue any statistics. He originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick (217th overall) by Tampa Bay in 2010 out of Florida State.
