Tully Banta Cain

The New England Patriots have signed quarterback Ryan Mallett, one other draft choice and released seven players. Mallett, a third-round pick from Arkansas, and offensive lineman Marcus Cannon, a fifth-round choice from TCU, signed Friday. There were some notable names among those released — defensive end Ty Warren, tight end Alge Crumpler and offensive tackle Nick Kaczur. All carried salary cap numbers of at least $3 million. Warren spent last season on injured reserve with a hip injury after being a regular starter for six seasons.

FOXBOROUGH - The once-dominant Patriots defensive line of Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, and Vince Wilfork is down to one remaining member after New England yesterday released Warren and five other veteran players. Also cut were Alge Crumpler, Nick Kaczur, Tully Banta-Cain, Marcus Stroud, and Tony Carter. The six were due a combined $12.88 million in base salary this season; all of that comes off New England's cap for this year. Crumpler and Kaczur, both of whom are coming back from significant injuries, each could return to the team at a reduced salary, but Warren very...

By Shalise Manza Young, Globe Staff Outside linebacker and the pass rush - already two areas of concern for many Patriots fans - have taken a major hit: Tully Banta-Cain underwent surgery for what was termed an abdominal tear on Friday, according to a league source. It was a problem Banta-Cain dealt with last season, but had improved since the season ended - the source said it had been feeling "fine" - until recent workouts, when it started to bother him again. Banta-Cain, who turns 31 next month, is headed into his ninth season and is the longest-tenured Patriots'...

The New England Patriots have signed quarterback Ryan Mallett, one other draft choice and released seven players. Mallett, a third-round pick from Arkansas, and offensive lineman Marcus Cannon, a fifth-round choice from TCU, signed Friday. There were some notable names among those released — defensive end Ty Warren, tight end Alge Crumpler and offensive tackle Nick Kaczur. All carried salary cap numbers of at least $3 million. Warren spent last season on injured reserve with a hip injury after being a regular starter for six seasons.

FOXBOROUGH - The once-dominant Patriots defensive line of Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, and Vince Wilfork is down to one remaining member after New England yesterday released Warren and five other veteran players. Also cut were Alge Crumpler, Nick Kaczur, Tully Banta-Cain, Marcus Stroud, and Tony Carter. The six were due a combined $12.88 million in base salary this season; all of that comes off New England's cap for this year. Crumpler and Kaczur, both of whom are coming back from significant injuries, each could return to the team at a reduced salary, but Warren very...

FOXBOROUGH -- Tully Banta-Cain was in the midst of giving an ans . . . whoa! Suddenly, he became preoccupied with a laser from a television camera aimed at his eyes, seemingly about to vaporize him. He held up his hand as a shield while he tried to relocate his sight. "Boy," he said with a smile, "that thing's strong. " Now, where was he? Oh yes, discussing the possibility of his first NFL start tomorrow -- technically a hypothetical prospect, given the lingering suspense over Tedy Bruschi's status, which could trickle down to Banta-Cain.

The Patriots' aggressive free agent shopping continued last night and into today, with Dolphins receiver Wes Welker arriving in town to meet with team officials. Meanwhile, as Welker gets ready to walk through the door, veteran linebacker and special teams standout Don Davis walked out, filing his retirement papers with the NFL. The 34-year-old Davis, who played the last four seasons with the Patriots, was one of the team's 13 unrestricted free agents this offseason. "It was a decision that had been coming on, and one that I decided was best for me and my family," said Davis, who played in 148...

FOXBOROUGH - Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo suffered a sprained medial collateral knee ligament in Monday night’s dramatic victory over the Bills, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the injury. One source said Mayo is expected to be out 6-8 weeks with the Grade 3 MCL sprain, but the other source said the timetable is “not that bad’’ and the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year could return sooner. Mayo was injured in the first quarter tackling Bills tailback Fred Jackson at the end of a 16-yard run. Mayo limped around before falling to the turf, where he...

With a Super Bowl berth on the line, the Patriots considered their defensive options and decided they needed more speed on the field at inside linebacker. So they turned to Eric Alexander in last Sunday's AFC Championship game. While diehard Patriots fans might have known Alexander from his role as a core special teams player, the casual observer was likely surprised to see him in the lineup. After all, the second-year veteran had never started a game in his 18-game NFL career.

While the focus in the Patriots’ exhibition opener Thursday night was on the offense and the return of quarterback Tom Brady, what took place - or didn’t take place - on the other side of the ball was just as interesting. By coach Bill Belichick’s admission, the Patriots hardly played any 3-4 defense in their 27-25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, instead almost exclusively employing a 4-3. “It was all four-man fronts, really,’’ said Belichick after the game.

By Monique Walker, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH -- Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain is going to be released by the Patriots on Thursday Friday. Update (1:40 p.m.): Banta-Cain has confirmed the news, first reported by ESPN, with a text to Shalise Manza Young reading "it was a fun ride. " Over the last two seasons, Banta-Cain recorded 15 tackles for New England in his second go-round with the team after a two-year stay with the 49ers. He signed a contract extension after the 2009 season and his cap hit including bonuses for the coming season was to be $4.5 million.

Now that the NFL is open for business , a free agent frenzy the likes of which the league has never seen is going to kick off tomorrow, the first day that teams can start negotiating with free agents in this Indianapolis 500-pace offseason. The Patriots tend to dip their toes into free agency delicately, but they might not have that luxury this time around. With approximately $7.5 million in cap space to play with, let's take a look at the top five free-agent needs in Fort Foxborough and some possible Patriots.

By Shalise Manza Young, Globe Staff Outside linebacker and the pass rush - already two areas of concern for many Patriots fans - have taken a major hit: Tully Banta-Cain underwent surgery for what was termed an abdominal tear on Friday, according to a league source. It was a problem Banta-Cain dealt with last season, but had improved since the season ended - the source said it had been feeling "fine" - until recent workouts, when it started to bother him again. Banta-Cain, who turns 31 next month, is headed into his ninth season and is the...

FOXBOROUGH — Having seen what we just saw, the simple question is this: What does it take for the Patriots to lose a game? On a night when Matt Flynn quite often out-Bradyed Tom Brady, when the Green Bay Packers began the game by recovering an onside kick, when the guys in green and gold ran off four prolonged scoring drives, and when the Patriots made mistakes they never make — e.g. an illegal Tully Banta-Cain hand in the face wiping...

FOXBOROUGH — Tully Banta-Cain redeemed himself in a major way last night, strip-sacking Green Bay quarterback Matt Flynn on the final play of the game to preserve a 31-27 win for the Patriots over the Packers. Earlier in the same drive, Banta-Cain was called for illegal hands to the face, the flag negating a potential game-sealing interception by Brandon Meriweather. It was yet another case of the Patriots’ young defense coming up big when it mattered most. After the interception came off the board and the defense realized it would be on the field longer, the unit huddled up and...

CHICAGO — Note to Mother Nature: Try again. Same goes for the National Football League. In successive weeks, the Patriots have taken on two of the league’s top teams in poor to terrible weather conditions. They emerged with victories against the Jets (9-2 at the time) and Bears (9-3) by a combined score of 81-10. A week ago it was a 45-3 shellacking of New York in bone-chilling temperatures and a strong wind at Gillette Stadium. Yesterday it was a 36-7 domination of the Bears that felt like 96-7 considering the elements and hopelessness of...

NFL teams began shopping at 12:01 a.m. yesterday in a free agent frenzy considered the NFL’s version of Black Friday. Only time will tell who picked up the best deal, but the Patriots spent the most right in their own backyard. The Patriots and Vince Wilfork agreed to a five-year extension worth $40 million ($25 million guaranteed and an $18 million signing bonus), making him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league and settling a negotiation process that dated to last season.

CHICAGO — Maybe the best way to sum up the Patriots’ domination of the Chicago Bears yesterday is this: In the first half, when New England racked up 33 points, the Bears managed just 33 total yards. That was all it needed. The Patriots cruised to a 36-7 win on an incredibly windy day in the Windy City, a victory that clinched them a postseason berth, marking the seventh time in the last eight seasons that New England will be a playoff participant. The win, combined with an embarrassing home loss for the Jets at the hands of Miami, puts the Patriots one step closer to clinching the AFC East and a first-round...