Patriots release DT Terrell McClain

The New England Patriots had hoped taking a flyer on defensive tackle Terrell McClain would work out, but the team cut him Tuesday after the highly-touted draft prospect spent less than a week with the team.

McClain was the first pick of the third round for the Panthers just a year ago. However, the South Florida product didn't pan out for Carolina, only recording 19 tackles and a sack in his rookie campaign. They cut him after training camp – a rare move when dealing with someone who was drafted so highly just a year earlier – and McClain went nearly a month before the Patriots picked him up.

McClain was signed Sept. 26, with the team releasing undrafted rookie defensive tackle Marcus Forston to make room for him on the roster. McClain appeared in the team's win over the Buffalo Bills, but recorded no statistics. Its unclear who the team will add to their roster now that McClain is gone. Playing in 12 games as a rookie, the second-year man was ineligible for practice squad duty. Bill Belichick had purportedly been interested in McClain in the 2011 Draft, but the team opted to go a different direction.