One way or another, Josh Kline wasn’t going to be on the New England Patriots’ 53-man roster after they traded for cornerback Eric Rowe.
Kline was released by the Patriots after he was removed from the trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, a source told NESN.com Wednesday morning. The Eagles no longer wanted to take Kline when they couldn’t flip him in a subsequent trade, the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe reported, citing two sources.
The Patriots later confirmed they had released Kline, which was needed to make roster room for Rowe, a 2015 second-round draft pick.
The Patriots are left with interior offensive linemen David Andrews, Joe Thuney, Jonathan Cooper, Shaq Mason and Ted Karras after releasing Kline. Kline was in contention for the starting right guard role throughout the summer as Cooper dealt with a foot injury and after Mason began training camp on the physically unable to perform list, then broke his hand in the middle of August.
Kline was perhaps the Patriots’ most consistent offensive lineman last season, but he doesn’t have the pedigree of Thuney, Cooper or Mason. Kline played in 33 games, starting 18, in his three-year career with the Patriots after going undrafted out of Kent State in 2013. Kline dealt with a shoulder injury last season and appeared to re-injure it during the preseason.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
