Patriots Waive Cornerback, Defensive Tackle Ahead Of Cutdown Day

With cutdown day on the horizon, the New England Patriots dropped two more players from their 80-man roster Thursday.

The Patriots waived cornerback Michael Jackson and waived defensive tackle Michael Barnett with an injury designation, according to the NFL’s transaction wire. ESPN’s Mike Reiss was the first to report the roster moves.

Jackson showed potential in training camp after being acquired from the Detroit Lions for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, but an injury late in camp limited his participation.

Cornerback also is New England’s deepest position group, with Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, Joejuan Williams and Justin Bethel all likely to keep the roster spots they held last season.

Barnett, who signed with the Patriots on Aug. 24, suffered an apparent knee injury in practice last week. If he clears waivers, he’ll revert to New England’s injured reserve.

Veteran receiver Mohamed Sanu’s release also was made official Thursday, leaving the Patriots with 77 players on their roster. They must trim that number to 53 by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images