FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that they have released LB A.J. Edds, OL R.J. Mattes and DL Scott Vallone.
Edds, 25, was signed by New England on June 6, 2013. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick (199th overall) of the Miami Dolphins out of Iowa in 2010. After spending his rookie season on Injured Reserve with a knee injury, Edds was released by Miami on Sept. 5, 2011, and claimed off waivers by New England on Sept 7. He played in two games for the Patriots before being released and signed to the practice squad. The Indianapolis Colts signed Edds to their 53-man roster off the New England practice squad on Sept. 28 and he played in nine games for the Colts. Edds spent the entire 2012 season on Injured Reserve with a knee injury.
Mattes, 23, was originally signed by New England as a rookie free agent on May 13 out of North Carolina State before being released on May 23 and re-signed on June 3. The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder, was a four-year starter at both guard and tackle and was named a second-team All-ACC as a senior in 2012.
Vallone, 23, was signed by New England as a rookie free agent on Aug. 1, 2013, out of Rutgers. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder, was a four-year starter at defensive tackle for Rutgers. He appeared in two games as a true freshman in 2008 before undergoing season-ending surgery and was redshirted. During his four-years as a starter, Vallone recorded 195 total tackles and 8½ sacks. He was named a first-team All-BIG EAST last season after starting all 13 games and finishing with 52 total tackles and three sacks.
