FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots released third-year defensive end Michael Buchanan on Thursday, days after the team selected three defensive ends in the NFL draft.
The 24-year-old Buchanan was a seventh-round draft choice of the Patriots in 2013 out of Illinois. He was used as a nickel rusher in his initial games during the rookie season before settling into a core special-teams role and playing in 15 regular-season games. In 2014, Buchanan was limited to three games before landing on season-ending injured reserve.
In the days after this year's draft, Buchanan was listed as a "loser" as a result of the team's selections as he faced an uphill climb to hold on to a roster spot.
The Patriots also waived third-year receiver Kevin Dorsey, who had signed with the team March 11 after spending the first two years of his career with Green Bay. Dorsey was a long shot to make the roster.
