FOXBORO -- The roster churning continues with the Patriots.
Running back Brandon Bolden is back in the mix and returned to practice today. Meanwhile, linebacker Shea McClellin is heading to injured reserve, according to ESPN.
The temporary release of Bolden makes sense in light of this move, which was somewhat predictable. Because of the NFL's strange rules about injured reserve -- players wouldn't be eligible to return from IR this season unless they were released after last night's deadline -- the Patriots had to buy a little time with McClellin following Saturday's roster cuts. So they unloaded Bolden at a minor cap charge ($80,000 in dead money), and the veteran wasn't subjected to waivers, which meant the Pats could re-sign him as soon as the space became available.