Patriots rookie offensive lineman Marcus Cannon has completed his recovery from an unexpected bout with cancer, and the team has now deemed him sufficiently healthy to be elevated to the active 53-man roster.
On Tuesday, the Pats shifted Cannon from the reserve/non-football illness list.
Cannon had been practicing with the team, during the three-week window that may be opened between Week Six and Week Nine. The deadline for making a move with him was approaching.
To create a roster spot for Cannon, the Patriots released safety Ross Ventrone. As Peter King of SI.com pointed out Monday, Ventrone had been the subject of 13 transactions with the Patriots in three months.
Make it 14. And counting.
Cannon’s cancer was discovered in the pre-draft examination process. A lump in his lower abdomen that had been believed to be benign was determined via biopsy to contain non-Hodgkins lymphoma cells.
Projected as a potential second-round pick, the Patriots selected Cannon in the fifth round.