NFL

Patterson, 29, was owed a $2.9 million base salary. His release saves $3 million versus the cap. An undersized nose tackle who's spent his entire career in Philadelphia, Patterson was the 31st overall pick in the 2005 draft. At 6-foot-1, 300, he was a poor fit for the Eagles' new 3-4 scheme and will join Cullen Jenkins on the street. Philly is now wafer thin on the defensive line beyond Fletcher Cox and Antonio Dixon, but has ample cap space to work with. Expect the Birds to go hard after a defensive end and a nose tackle in free agency and/or the draft.