Sammy Morris

The New England Patriots have cut two-time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather as they trimmed their roster to the limit of 53 on Saturday. Also released were running back Sammy Morris, a 12-year veteran, and wide receiver Brandon Tate. The Patriots released 15 players in all. Running back Kevin Faulk, and defensive linemen Ron Brace and Brandon Deaderick were placed on the reserve-physically unable to perform list. Fifth-round draft pick Marcus Cannon was placed on the reserve non-football injury list.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Patriots will not be receiving any compensatory picks in this year's draft, according to a league source. Teams were notified about them today, and the league will likely release the list later today. Compensatory picks are rewarded for players lost in free agency the prior year. Not sure the Patriots lost any free agents last year (Sammy Morris and Jarrad Page, maybe, depending on when they signed elsewhere). Released players do not count.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Patriots will not be receiving any compensatory picks in this year's draft, according to a league source. Teams were notified about them today, and the league will likely release the list later today. Compensatory picks are rewarded for players lost in free agency the prior year. Not sure the Patriots lost any free agents last year (Sammy Morris and Jarrad Page, maybe, depending on when they signed elsewhere). Released players do not count.

FOXBOROUGH - Rookie running back Stevan Ridley has only been in the Patriots locker room for two months and he has already gotten the obligatory Jets week warning from coach Bill Belichick . Nothing's off limits - wives and toes included - when it comes to the buildup for Sunday's run-in at Gillette Stadium. Ridley's making sure to take the "do-as-told" approach. " "It's big, man, I know it's big," Ridley said. "[But] Coach made it clear that we don't want to get caught up in that.

FOXBOROUGH - For the last week, the Patriots have been motoring through transactions at warp speed. All the while, rookie offensive tackle Nate Solder was waiting for the call to let him know his contract was completed. He got that call yesterday. The Patriots signed their first-round pick (17th overall) to a four-year deal worth $8.54 million, which includes a $4.7 million signing bonus. Solder then participated in his first practice. "It was great," he said. "It's been a while, so I was happy to be out there.

FOXBOROUGH - When Patriots quarterback Tom Brady crashed to the Gillette Stadium turf, his left knee mangled after being struck by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard in last year’s season opener, there was something noticeably missing. A penalty flag. By rule, the NFL determined that referee Carl Cheffers made the correct call by keeping the yellow flag in his grasp. This year, however, that type of play will be an infraction. Some are calling it the “Tom Brady Rule.’’ The change was highlighted yesterday at Gillette Stadium as...

FOXBOROUGH - In the big situations that require a small gain, Patriots running back Sammy Morris has been tapped to make the critical play more than once this season. As part of a class of running backs fused for maximum options, Morris may not know exactly how he will be used on game day, so he has to be prepared for it all. Against the Broncos last week, Morris led the team in rushing (17 carries, 68 yards) and carved out 35 yards on a screen pass that set up a touchdown in the first quarter of the 20-17 overtime loss.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff DETROIT - Well, for the first time, all the pieces totally fit with ease when assembling this 53-man roster. Of course, that means I'm completely wrong. But here it is, with a few comments to follow. Some thoughts: There were no changes on the offensive side of the ball. The big questions lingering there are how will they disperse the personnel between RB, WR and TE? Because QB and the OL are set for me. Forget anything I said about Brian Hoyer last week.

Mark Slough was sitting in his home office on Third Street in Santa Monica, Calif., on March 1, watching the clock tick down the final seconds to the start of NFL free agency, which for agents is like a cross between New Year's Eve and Christmas. A few minutes after midnight ushered in March 2 back East (just past 9 p.m. Pacific Time), and Slough's phone rang. It was Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli on the other line. He wanted to set up a visit for Sammy Morris.

FOXBOROUGH -- The rock in the middle of the Patriots' defense has reappeared. A thick wrap of white athletic tape covering his injured right ankle, nose tackle Vince Wilfork stepped forward in the team's locker room yesterday and said he's feeling better. Yet whether that's good enough to play effectively in tomorrow's wild-card playoff game against the Jets, he's not sure. "I'm feeling good," said the 6-foot-2-inch, 325-pound Wilfork. " I did little stuff this week, but you can't really tell anything until you actually play on it. " Wilfork...

The New England Patriots have cut two-time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather as they trimmed their roster to the limit of 53 on Saturday. Also released were running back Sammy Morris, a 12-year veteran, and wide receiver Brandon Tate. The Patriots released 15 players in all. Running back Kevin Faulk, and defensive linemen Ron Brace and Brandon Deaderick were placed on the reserve-physically unable to perform list. Fifth-round draft pick Marcus Cannon was placed on the reserve non-football injury list.

FOXBOROUGH - The exhibition season concluded last night with the Patriots' 18-17 loss to the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium. The only thing that matters is the Patriots came out ahead on the injury front. Running back Sammy Morris (head), punter Zoltan Mesko (hand), cornerback Kyle Arrington (groin), and safety Patrick Chung (knee) sustained minor injuries in the finale. The Patriots had a lot of players miss time with injuries in the preseason, but they also emerged without a major injury to anyone on their two-deep depth chart.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff Going to be totally wrong, so might as well get it over with. Our final stab at the Patriots' 53-man roster: Thoughts : These were made before the eight cuts were announced . Obviously the big change is releasing Eric Moore to make room for TE Will Yeatman and/or RB Sammy Morris . Now, Morris went out of last night's game with an injury,...

FOXBOROUGH - For the last week, the Patriots have been motoring through transactions at warp speed. All the while, rookie offensive tackle Nate Solder was waiting for the call to let him know his contract was completed. He got that call yesterday. The Patriots signed their first-round pick (17th overall) to a four-year deal worth $8.54 million, which includes a $4.7 million signing bonus. Solder then participated in his first practice. "It was great," he said. "It's been a while, so I was happy to be out there.

Even before the NFL lockout ended and teams got the green light to talk to free agents, those who follow the Patriots were making a wish list. Linebackers Matt Roth, Takeo Spikes, and Manny Lawson, and receivers Braylon Edwards, Sidney Rice, and Donte Stallworth were at or near the top of many lists, as players who could make an impact despite not having the benefit of an offseason to learn the New England playbook. But at 10 a.m. today, free agency will have been open for 48 hours, and the Patriots have been relatively quiet.

FOXBOROUGH — What do you say when you are whipped, fair and square? What do you say when there are no freaky happenings, when there are no loose ends, when there are no overtly bad calls, when the other team makes the big plays when it has to and stops you when you need to make some of your own? What do you say when the other team does exactly what it wants to do and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it? What do you say when the other coach runs his mouth and his team backs him up?

FOXBOROUGH - Welcome to Day 2 of Life Without Tom. It's not a wonderful life. Food doesn't taste good. Sleep doesn't come easily, and the air is polluted. New England sports fans are lost boys and lost girls. They have lost their leader and their mojo. They have lost their way. It was just two days ago that the football season was starting and hope was infinite. The Patriots were going to go 18-0 again and this time they were going to finish the job. Jealous haters across the land were going to be forever silenced.

CLEVELAND — There was nothing unexpected and there were no excuses. What there was, player after Patriots player said, was a lack of execution. New England knew the Browns were coming off their bye week, giving Eric Mangini and a slew of former Patriots assistant coaches and players extra time to prepare to face their former boss, Bill Belichick. The players were aware Cleveland liked to throw some creative plays into the mix on offense, through its “Flash’’ package.