Patriots cut receiver Josh Boyce, DT Joe Vellano, three others

The Patriots got a head start on trimming down their roster to 75 players today by cutting five players, headlined by the release of wide receiver Josh Boyce.

Along with Boyce, the team also released receiver Jonathan Krause, defensive lineman Joe Vellano, linebacker Dekoda Watson and undrafted tight end Jimmy Mundine.

The Pats roster now sits at 80 players, and by using some advanced mathematics here, it means head coach Bill Belichick has FIVE count 'em FIVE more cuts to make by tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
According to reports, both Boyce and Krause were waived with injury designations, meaning if they clear waivers they'll head to injured reserve.

The release of Boyce is without a doubt the most notable of the five moves. A fourth-round pick out of TCU in 2013, Boyce appeared in only one game last season for the Patriots and only 10 games in two years. Boyce made three starts as a rookie, catching nine balls on 13 targets for 121 yards.

After a dreadful opener versus the Packers in which he only caught two passes on 12 targets, Boyce didn't see the field against the Saints or the Panthers the last two weeks due to an undisclosed injury, pointing to the move to IR.

The release of Vellano is also a noteworthy one, as he was a good depth piece on the defensive line the past two seasons. Coming in as an undrafted rookie in 2013, Vellano appeared in all 16 games that season and started eight, racking up 59 total tackles and a pair of sacks. Vellano played in only five games last season, recording seven total tackles.

With a lot more depth on the D line in Alan Branch, Sealver Siliga, and first-round picks Dominique Easley and Malcolm Brown, Vellano became an expendable piece in this round of cuts.

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