FOXBORO, Mass. — There were nine players conspicuously missing from New England Patriots practice on the 75-man roster cutdown date.
Wide receiver Matthew Slater (ankle), running back Dion Lewis (PUP), cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc, linebacker Ramon Humber, defensive end Shea McClellin (undisclosed injury) and offensive tackles Sebastian Vollmer (PUP) and Nate Solder were absent from practice. Solder was attending a charity event.
Tight end Steven Scheu and offensive tackle Keavon Milton, both of whom were cut, also weren’t at practice among players still listed on the roster.
The Patriots had to trim five players off their roster as of Tuesday afternoon. Scheu and Milton would account for two of those players. Placing Lewis and Vollmer on PUP/reserve also would free up two spots.
Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill returned to practice Tuesday after missing Monday’s session with an illness. Guards Tre’ Jackson (PUP/reserve), Shaq Mason (hand) and Jonathan Cooper (foot) left to work on conditioning on a lower field during drills. Wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell (elbow) and defensive end Rob Ninkovich (triceps) stayed for positional drills, which shows a step in the right direction for their respective recoveries.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
