New England Patriots Release Matt Flynn, Sign Ryan Lindley

The New England Patriots have released third-string quarterback Matt Flynn and will replace him with Ryan Lindley, who signed a one-year deal with the team.

ESPN reported the Patriots’ latest moves this offseason, which could prove crucial as starting quarterback Tom Brady is expected to miss the first four games of the 2015 regular season thanks to the “Deflategate” scandal.

Second-year QB Jimmy Garoppolo is pegged to start in place of Brady if the four-game suspension is not overturned or reduced. Brady’s ban was upheld by Commissioner Roger Goodell, but the NFL Players Association is still appealing the suspension, which could open the chance of Brady not missing all four games.

"There's definitely something to that. We don't have forever here; the train is moving," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said about the release of Flynn, who had suffered from a hamstring injury and never joined the team’s training camp.

"I know he worked hard, it was frustrating he couldn't get out there, [that] we couldn't see him out there.”

Flynn's release comes after signing with the Patriots just two months ago.

The 26-year-old Lindley, who was a sixth round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, has played a total of nine regular season games and one playoff game in his career.

The postseason appearance with the Arizona Cardinals came in the wild card round in 2015, when they lost to the Carolina Panthers and Lindley passed for 82 yards on 16 of 28 completions with one touchdown and two interceptions. Lindley was inserted as a starter after injuries to Arizona’s main QB, Carson Palmer, late in the season.