FOXBORO -- The Patriots reshuffled the deck with their quarterback depth chart this morning.
The team released veteran Matt Flynn, according to a source, which left them with just Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo at the position. However, Field Yates of ESPN reported soon afterward that the Pats had signed Ryan Lindley -- who finished last season as the Arizona Cardinals' starting QB after injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton -- to add depth at the position.
Flynn hasn’t practiced at training camp due to a hamstring injury, according to Dianna Maria Russini of ESPN, who also first reported news of his release. Flynn, who was signed by the Patriots in June and took part in minicamp, could return. He’s a veteran and has spent two months studying the New England offense. If Brady’s four-game suspension holds, Flynn would be the most prepared candidate to back up Garoppolo during the first quarter of the season.
Lindley, pressed into service after Palmer and Stanton went down, didn't cover himself in glory in Arizona last year. He finished the regular season with a 56.8 passer rating -- completing only 48.4 percent of his passes, with two touchdowns and four interceptions -- and then led the Cards to just 77 yards of total offense, the lowest single-game performance in a playoff game by any team in NFL history, in their 27-16 postseason loss to Carolina.