FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today that they have released TE Matt Lengel and rookie DE Caleb Kidder.
Lengel, 26, was signed by New England to the 53-man roster from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad on Nov. 2, 2016. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Bengals out of Eastern Kentucky on May 8, 2015. The 6-foot-7, 266-pounder, was released by Cincinnati on Sept. 5, 2015 and spent his rookie season on the Bengals practice squad. Lengel began the 2016 season with Cincinnati and was released at the end of training camp before being signed to the practice squad on Sept. 4, 2016. Lengel played in six games in the regular season and all three postseason games, including Super Bowl LI, with the Patriots last season. He finished with two receptions for 22 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown pass on his very first NFL reception vs. the New York Jets on Dec. 24.
Kidder, 23, was signed by the Patriots on July 27, 2017. He was originally signed by the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie free agent out of Montana on May 1, 2017. The 6-foot-4, 269-pounder, was released by Minnesota on July 21, 2017. He finished his college career with 194 total tackles and 14 sacks in 47 games with 25 starts at Montana. As a senior in 2016, he earned second-team All-Big Sky honors.
