FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – Defensive lineman Dan Klecko, the son of former New York Jets star Joe Klecko, was among nine players released Saturday by the New England Patriots.

The younger Klecko spent the last three seasons with the Patriots after being drafted in the fourth round out of Temple but, at 5-feet-11 and 275 pounds, was undersized as a lineman. He also played linebacker and filled in occasionally at fullback in goal-line situations.

In his three seasons, he started three of his 29 games and totaled 22 tackles and two sacks. His father was a defensive lineman primarily with the New York Jets in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Patriots placed linebacker Barry Gardner and safety Tebucky Jones on injured reserve, meaning they will miss the entire season. Gardner suffered a serious leg injury Thursday night against the New York Giants in the Patriots’ final preseason game. Jones, primarily a special teams player, suffered an injured hamstring in the third preseason game.

The Patriots put fullback Patrick Pass on the physically unable to perform list, preventing him from practicing with the team for the first six weeks of the season.

Pass was entering his eighth season with the Patriots, but has been sidelined since July 28, the first day of training camp.

The other eight players cut were wide receiver Kelvin Kight; offensive linemen Dan Stevenson, Billy Yates and Randy Hand; defensive lineman Santonio Thomas; linebacker Corey Mays; safety Guss Scott; and cornerback Antwain Spann.

Stevenson was a sixth-round draft choice from Notre Dame. On Friday, the Patriots cut another rookie sixth-round pick, Jeremy Mincey from Florida, who was shifting from defensive line to linebacker.