The New England Patriots are continuing cutting down their roster to have only 53 men left when the cutdown deadline comes at 4:00 p.m. ET later today. The team has made four more moves to bring their roster down to 74, releasing three defensive linemen, according to multiple media reports:
While Atkins and Lee were considered long shots to make the 53-man roster, Valentine’s release comes as a minor surprise. After all, the third-round draft selection flashed plenty of potential as an interior defender during his 2016 rookie campaign. However, after having spent all of 2017 on injured reserve, he had a rather quiet training camp and preseason and was consequently not guaranteed a spot on the 53-man team.