The deadline approached, the deadline came, the deadline passed — and the New England Patriots did not do anything. The club had until 4:00pm on Monday to activate tight end Benjamin Watson to its 53-man roster following his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs, but instead opted to part ways with him after a one-week period during which he was granted a roster exemption.
With the veteran now released, the Patriots’ tight end depth chart remains unchanged: free agency acquisition Matt LaCosse and second-year man Ryan Izzo are the one-two punch at the position, with fullback Jakob Johnson — an undrafted rookie filling in for an injured James Develin — as the de facto third option behind them.