The New England Patriots parted ways with once-hyped running back Tyler Gaffney.
The Patriots released Gaffney, the team announced Monday. Gaffney spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons on injured reserve.
The Patriots claimed Gaffney after he was injured/waived by the Carolina Panthers as a rookie in July 2014. The Panthers hoped to slip Gaffney, who tore his lateral meniscus, through waivers and onto injured reserve, but the Patriots thwarted their plans and carried him on their 90-man roster until placing him on injured reserve at the end of training camp.
Gaffney, who was selected by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Stanford, suffered another knee injury early in training camp last summer.
The Patriots have Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden, James White, Donald Brown and Joey Iosefa on their running back depth chart. LeGarrette Blount remains on the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Running back is one of the Patriots’ biggest needs going into the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Patriots now have 14 open slots on their 90-man roster.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
