Pats release John Lynch; sign 6 to practice squad [mergedx2]
Here's the full transcript of the statement just issued by the Patriots:
The New England Patriots signed six players to their practice squad today and also released veteran safety John Lynch and veteran wide receiver Chad Jackson. The following players were signed to the practice squad: defensive lineman Titus Adams, safety Mark Dillard, running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, linebacker Vince Redd, defensive back Mike Richardson and defensive back Antwain Spann.
Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick offered the following comment on John Lynch. "It goes without saying but John is an all-time great safety, one of the league's classiest professionals and his elite play speaks for itself," said Belichick. "As has been the case in other situations, I would not rule anything out down the road."
John Lynch offered the following comment. "I have no regrets about my time thus far with the Patriots," said Lynch. "The immense respect that I've long held for the organization has been only heightened over the past couple of weeks. I am going to keep all options open and look forward with excitement to see what the future brings."
Lynch, 36, is was signed by the Patriots on Aug. 15, 2008 and is a veteran of 15 NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993-2003) and the Denver Broncos (2004-07). The 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound safety has earned nine career Pro Bowl selections and has been to the Pro Bowl in each of the last four seasons, including 2007. His nine Pro Bowls are the second highest total in NFL history for a safety (Ken Houston, 10). Lynch has played in 224 career games with 191 starts. His career totals include 1,277 tackles (789 solo), 13 sacks, 26 interceptions, 100 passes defensed, 16 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and 24 special teams tackles. He has also started 12 career playoff games and was a member of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl XXXVII championship team.
Lynch spent the first 11 seasons of his career (1993-2003) with the Buccaneers after being selected by Tampa Bay in the third round (82nd overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft out of Stanford. He finished his Buccaneers career ranked second on the team's all-time games played list (164), third on the all-time tackles list (973) and tied for fourth on the all-time interceptions list (23). Lynch became a full-time starter for Tampa Bay in 1996, when he led all Buccaneers defensive backs with 103 tackles (74 solo), beginning a run of six straight seasons with 100 or more total tackles. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 1997 and in 1998 again led all Tampa Bay defensive backs with 107 tackles (55 solo). He returned to the Pro Bowl in 1999 to start a string of four straight all-star seasons, totaling a career-high 128 tackles (68 solo) while also recording a career-best 14 passes defensed. He started every game in 2000 and 2001, earning Pro Bowl berths both years. In 2002, Lynch earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl nod and helped Tampa Bay win its first Super Bowl title. He closed out his Tampa Bay career with a 95-tackle season in 2003.
Lynch joined the Denver Broncos as a free agent on March 23, 2004, after being released by Tampa Bay on March 16, 2004. He played in 60 games with 59 starts over four seasons in Denver (2004-07), totaling 304 tackles (215 solo), seven sacks, three interceptions, 26 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He returned to the Pro Bowl in his first season with the Broncos in 2004, beginning another streak of four straight all-star nods. In 2005, he helped the Broncos advance to the AFC Championship Game while recording a career-high four forced fumbles. He started every game in 2006 and totaled 97 tackles (64 solo), his highest tackle total in five seasons. Last season, Lynch played in 13 games with 12 starts for Denver and finished fifth on the team with 62 tackles (48 solo) while earning his ninth career Pro Bowl selection. He was released by the Broncos on July 31, 2008.
Jackson, 23, was selected by the Patriots in the second round (36th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-1-inch, 215-pound wide receiver has played in 14 career games with one start, totaling 13 receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns, four rushes for 22 yards, six kickoff returns for 106 yards and five punt returns for 83 yards. As a rookie in 2006, Jackson played in 12 games and recorded 13 receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Last season, he was activated from the reserve/PUP list on Nov. 7, 2007, and played in two games for New England.
