Patriots Immediately Cut Veteran Lineman After Week 6 Loss

The New England Patriots got a solid performance from center Ben Brown on Sunday against the Houston Texans, it opened the door for a veteran on the offensive line to be let go.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Pats released veteran offensive lineman Nick Leverett. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports that Leverett was benched for Brown, who was signed off the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo spoke glowingly about Brown’s performance saying he was New England’s best offensive lineman. Brown didn’t allow a single pressure in the 20-point loss to the Texans.

While its good to see Brown come in and perform right away, its also an indictment on the state of the Patriots' offensive line, which has struggled in pass protection.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Leverett started at center for an injured David Andrews in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins. Andrews was placed on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 4.

However, Leverett didn’t have much success as he allowed 10 pressures. The Patriots signed the veteran offensive lineman in the offseason to a one-year, $1.775 million deal after he spent the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With Leverett shockingly off the roster, the Pats will hope Brown can build off his performance in  Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars' defense has 14 sacks on the season -- the same number as New England.

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