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The New England Patriots began whittling their 75-man roster down to 53 players Friday.

The Patriots cut running back Tony Creecy, according to a source. Creecy signed with the Patriots on Aug. 10 but didn't see any action in the preseason.

The Patriots also cut offensive lineman Chris Martin, who started at left tackle Thursday against the New York Giants, according to his agent Brett Tessler.

Creecy played collegiately at North Carolina State, where he rushed for 1,265 yards on 324 carries.

The Patriots must trim their roster to 53 players by Saturday at 4 p.m. They hold practice Saturday, so they likely are cutting their roster early so they won't have extra players on the field to get ready for Week 1's matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thumbnail photo via Liz Condo/USA TODAY Sports Images