Veteran tight end Ben Watson may not be done with football, after the Patriots released him yesterday.
But the Patriots were clearly done with him, choosing not to activate him after his suspension ended, along with a roster spot.
Via Nick Goss of NBCSportsBoston.com, Patriots coach Bill Belichick reacted with his usual compassion during his interview on WEEI when asked about not activating the 38-year-old tight end.
“Just don’t have a roster spot,” Belichick said. “We only have so many roster spots. If we put somebody on, we have to take somebody off.
“Right now, there wasn’t a roster spot. We didn’t feel like there was somebody we could create a roster spot with. Everybody came out of the game healthy. We have a decent team. So, I think that’s where we’re at.”
The Patriots have generally gone tight end-heavy, but only have Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse on the roster at the moment, with seven catches between them.
Watson said on Twitter he was “beyond disappointed,” but there are indications he wants to continue to play. He caught 35 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns for the Saints last year, so there’s evidence he can help someone.