The Patriots made their final cuts Saturday to get their roster down to the 53 player limit. In addition to a couple of injury list moves, here are the players released:
DL Titus Adams
CB Fernando Bryant
TE Tyson DeVree
S Mark Dillard
C Mike Flynn
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis
QB Matt Gutierrez
LB Victor Hobson
LB Vince Redd
CB Mike Richardson
T Stephen Sene
S Antwain Spann
DL Santonio Thomas
G John Welbourn

My first reaction to these moves is that the Patriots were serious... dead serious... heart attack serious... about getting younger and faster on defense. They had seven draft picks this year, and the only offensive player among them was QB project Kevin O'Connell. Of the remaining six, Ruud was placed on IR and the rest all made the club. This is especially remarkable given the fact that out of the class of 2007, only Brandon Merriweather even made the team. Richardson was IR'ed and all the other picks were chummed. If the five defensive picks stick, along with O'Connell, and the Pats contend this year, it'll be easy to make the case that this was the best draft class since 2003 brought Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson, Asante Samuel, Dan Koppen and Tully Banta-Cain. Anyway, click here to read some thoughts about how the 2008 roster breaks down...