BOSTON — The New England Patriots released tight end Martellus Bennett on Wednesday.

Bennett was due a $2 million roster bonus next week. His release will save New England about $6 million in salary cap space.

Bennett joined New England in November of last season after being released by Green Bay for “failing to disclose a physical condition.”

He started seven games for the Packers in 2017 after signing a three-year, $21 million contract as a free agent. Following his release, Bennett appeared in two games for the Patriots before being placed on injured reserve because of hamstring and shoulder issues.

In 2016, Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns on his way to earning a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots.

TRADES: The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles bolstered their formidable pass rush with another top-level defensive lineman.

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The Eagles acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks, three people familiar with the trade told The Associated Press. The deal won’t be officially announced until the NFL’s league year opens next Wednesday.

Seattle gets wide receiver Marcus Johnson and a fifth-round pick, while Philadelphia also receives a seventh-round pick.

Bennett, 32, had 8 1/2 sacks last season and has 54 in his nine-year career. He has three years remaining on his contract, with a base salary of just $1.65 million in 2018. That number jumps to $6 million in 2019 and $7.5 million in 2020.

The Eagles will have to make roster moves to accommodate Bennett because they already are over the salary cap.

The Los Angeles Rams agreed to trade linebacker Alec Ogletree to the New York Giants for two draft picks, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

Los Angeles gets the Giants’ fourth-round and sixth-round picks in the 2018 draft. The NFC West champion Rams also will send a seventh-round pick in 2019 to the Giants along with Ogletree, their defensive captain and last season’s leading tackler.

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Ogletree has spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Rams, who drafted him out of Georgia in the first round in 2013. He led their defense in tackles during four of his five seasons, only failing to do so in 2015 when he played in just four games because of a broken leg.

He had 95 tackles and two sacks last season.

COWBOYS: Jerry Jones has agreed to pay the NFL more than $2 million in legal fees resulting from two disputes the Dallas Cowboys’ owner had with the league, a person with direct knowledge of the settlement tells The Associated Press.

Commissioner Roger Goodell held an appeal hearing with Jones on Monday. That came a few days after Goodell assessed the financial penalties for Jones’ lawsuit to overturn the suspension of Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott, and for a lawsuit Jones threatened to stop Goodell’s newly approved contract.

The restitution is rooted in a 1997 resolution that states owners can seek repayment for legal fees if a fellow owner is responsible for getting them involved in legal action.

Jones’ attempt to derail Goodell’s extension, which came after Elliott was suspended over domestic violence allegations, led to a volley of threatening letters from lawyers for both sides.

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After eventually relenting, Jones said after the owners meetings in December that he got what he wanted with an agreement to consider changes to the power of the commissioner’s role through the league’s constitution. Jones denied that his attempt to scuttle the contract was tied to Elliott’s suspension, but made repeated references to Goodell’s power to punish players.

Jones and the Cowboys were supportive of Elliott’s lawsuit, which was led by the players’ union and resulted in federal court hearings in three states over a span of two months. The suit eventually failed and Elliott served the suspension.

LIONS: Detroit hired Steve Gregory as a defensive assistant coach.

Gregory played eight seasons as a defensive back in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers (2006-11) and the New England Patriots (2012-13). Detroit’s new head coach, Matt Patricia was on New England’s staff when Gregory played for the Patriots.


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