New England tackle Ed Ellis was released by NFL Europe's Barcelona Dragons. The Boston Globe reported that Ellis was let go because of some adjustment problems, including missing team meetings and getting into scuffles with teammates. According to the story, Barcelona Head Coach Jack Bicknell said Ellis "struggled from the beginning. He just wasn't comfortable in this setting. It's a long way from home, a different country, and so when all was said and done, we decided it was best for him to go home."
Ellis started two games at tackle for the Dragons. In Monday's loss to Berlin, Barcelona ran three running plays behind Ellis for 26 yards.
The release from the Dragons does not help Ellis. He was allocated to the league in hopes of getting playing time after three mostly inactive seasons in New England. In three seasons with the Patriots, Ellis has just one start and has played in just nine games.
With the departures of starting tackles Bruce Armstrong and Zefross Moss, Ellis and several others are slated to compete for starting jobs. The candidates are free agent pickup Grant Williams, Max Lane, Derrick Fletcher, Kendell Mack and draft picks Adrian Klemm and Greg Robinson-Randall.
