FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — While it was a quiet Tuesday morning in the New England Patriots' locker room, the team was busy making plenty of noise with a few roster shakeups.
Hochstein Traded
The pipeline from New England to Denver continues, as the Patriots traded versatile offensive lineman Russ Hochstein to the Broncos, reportedly in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick.
Since Josh McDaniels became the Broncos' head coach, the Patriots' former offensive coordinator has taken several of his old players with him, including running back LaMont Jordan, wide receivers Jabar Gaffney and Chad Jackson, long snapper Lonie Paxton and defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith.
Hochstein can play any position along the offensive line, but Tuesday's trade indicates that he probably wouldn't have made the Patriots' active roster. As a result, head coach Bill Belichick made a productive move to add another late-round draft pick.
McKenzie Signed, Williams Cut
It was merely a formality that rookie linebacker Tyrone McKenzie would receive his contract, despite going down with a season-ending knee injury that resulted from a collision with running back Omar Cuff during the Patriots' rookie camp. McKenzie, a well-spoken, extremely mature, ball-hawking linebacker, was the Patriots' third-round draft pick (No. 97 overall) in April.
Because he was injured before signing his rookie contract, it's likely McKenzie has signed a contract similar to Bengals wide receiver Andre Caldwell, who was the 97th pick in 2008. Caldwell signed a four-year, $2.265 million contract, according to reports.
The Patriots also released safety/linebacker Tank Williams, who missed all of last season after suffering a knee injury during New England's preseason opener. It's common for Belichick to release a well-established veteran as early as possible if he doesn't believe that player can make the team.
Tuesday's transactions leave the Patriots with 77 players on the active roster, and that number will drop to 76 once McKenzie is placed on the injured list. All teams must trim their rosters to 75 players by Sept. 1, and rosters must be cut down to 53 players by Sept. 5.
Bruschi's Role Play
On Tuesday, linebacker Tedy Bruschi spent about two minutes with the media and addressed his role with the team. After missing a good chunk of training camp, Bruschi returned last week and played in the Patriots' preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was odd, though, to see Bruschi's playing time come with the second-team defense.
While his spot on the team remains as safe as he wants it to be, Bruschi said he is unsure what his role may be in 2009, and he seems to be fine with that.
"I've been with every unit in my career," said Bruschi, who turned 36 in June. "I've been with every single unit, so maybe it'd be different if I came in as a No. 1 overall pick and that's what I'd been my entire career. But I came in having to work my way in, so I know what it's like, whether you play every down … or just play special teams. I know what all those roles are like. I'm used to all of them, and that helps."
