Patriots coach Bill Belichick held a morning press conference with reporters, and one aspect that stood out was when he was asked about waiving 2009 third-round draft choice Tyrone McKenzie.

"We traded for Tracy White and that's really where that roster spot came from," Belichick said.

This is a clear example of the role that special teams plays in the decision-making process for roster spots.

White is a nine-year veteran who has started two career games, but is considered a strong special teams player who projects to be active on the 45-man game-day roster.

Meanwhile, McKenzie did not show up on top special teams units throughout the preseason and thus looked like he would be a game-day inactive behind Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Gary Guyton and perhaps even rookie free agent Dane Fletcher.