On Wednesday morning, NFL Media reported the Patriots were releasing center Bryan Stork, who started six games for them last season. Players on the team were even asked about the release after practice, so it seemed legit.
Later Wednesday, though, NFL Media reported the Patriots would not release Stork but instead trade him to the Redskins for a conditional draft pick. It's a strange story, as Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald points out.
MARVEZ: Still plenty to learn about Patriots
So this is pretty hilarious. As you've likely seen by now, the Patriots actually traded Bryan Stork to the Redskins. Here's what happened...
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 24, 2016
The Patriots informed Stork of his impending release this morning. Word of that release quickly spread, obviously down to the Redskins...
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 24, 2016
Redskins GM Scot McCloughan checked the transaction wire, noticed nothing had been official, so he called Nick Caserio about a trade.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 24, 2016
This isn't a blockbuster trade, but it's interesting to see how an early leak of a player's release led to the team getting value out of him.