FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots released veteran cornerback Otis Smith today.
Smith, 37, has started 95 of 164 games during his 13-year NFL career. The 5-foot-11-inch, 198-pound corner totaled 458 career tackles, including four sacks. He also intercepted 28 passes for 645 yards, including seven that he returned for touchdowns. He originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a rookie free agent out of Missouri in 1990. He spent five seasons with the Eagles before joining the New York Jets in 1995. He signed with the Patriots during the 1996 season and started the last nine games of the season, including each of the Patriots' playoff games and Super Bowl. He re-signed with the Jets in 1997, but returned to the Patriots just prior to the 2000 season.