Patriots release Russell Bodine, re-sign James Ferentz

Exactly one week ago, the New England Patriots swung a trade with the Buffalo Bills to acquire additional depth along the interior offensive line: the Patriots sent a sixth-round draft pick to their AFC East rivals to bring center/guard Russell Bodine on board. Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old made the club’s initial 53-man roster as a candidate to potentially challenge Ted Karras for the starting center spot.

Today, however, Bodine was let go again: as first reported by the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride, the reigning world champion released the six-year veteran — ending his tenure with the club after only a week. Furthermore, the move essentially confirms Karras as the starting center for the 2019 season after usual starter David Andrews was placed on season-ending injured reserve; he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs recently.

In order to fill the spot vacated by Bodine’s release, the Patriots re-signed offensive lineman James Ferentz. The 30-year-old originally joined the club in 2017 and spent the next two years moving between the active roster and the practice squad. While Ferentz saw considerable action during the preseason, he failed to carve out a backup role on the team and was released — at least initially.

Of course, there is always a chance the Patriots bring Bodine back after one week on a slightly altered contract. Time will tell.