The New England Patriots announced they released veteran defensive tackle Mike Purcell on Wednesday.
It's a move that came ahead of Sunday's preseason finale against the Washington Commanders and six days before the roster cut deadline.
Purcell being the one ousted is a bit of a surprise considering some of the questions along the defensive front. Christian Barmore is out indefinitely with blood clots, and the team just traded Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons.
So it initially seemed like the Patriots would load up at defensive tackle and lean on a steady rotation to make up for the loss of Barmore in particular.