New England Patriots cut D.J. Williams, Marcus Forston

The New England Patriots have announced the release of veterans D.J. Williams and Marcus Forston today, as neither were expected to make the team’s 53-man roster, so we’ll see if the early cuts two weeks ahead of the crunchdown help either player. For Williams, the priority is getting healthy, as he’s missed the past two weeks with a leg injury, and his pink slip comes not long after the Patriots decided to bring back intriguing UDFA Justin Jones.

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Forston is a former five-star recruit who went to Miami and never played to his potential in the college or pros. He’s completed the roster shuffle with the Patriots before, but I wouldn’t be surprise if the Pats stop bringing him back. He can push the pocket occasionally and has talent to flash, but he’s nothing more than bottom-of-the-roster fodder now. There’s still hope for Forston yet, as he’s just 24, and we’ll see where he lands. He was signed to a futures contract earlier this offseason,and he’s still eligible for the practice squad. That should be where he ends up, and it will likely be with the Patriots at some point.

Williams is just 25, and his release could very well be for good. It’s unclear what his release means for Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui, or Jones (the first two are also dealing with injuries or rehab), but the blocking tight end was in the fight for the No. 3 gig behind Gronk and Hooman.