Foxborough, Mass. — The New England Patriots released defensive lineman Dominique Easley, a first-round draft pick two years ago.

New England cut the injury-prone Easley, 24, on Wednesday. His first two NFL seasons both ended on injured reserve.

Easley, who had a history of injuries at Florida, was the 29th overall pick in 2014. He missed all but three games in his last season with the Gators because of a torn right ACL. He also had a torn left ACL earlier at Florida.

He played in 11 games last season before a quadriceps injury sidelined him. The previous year ended after 11 games with a knee problem.

New England has made several changes on its defensive line, including trading end Chandler Jones to Arizona and signing free agent DE Chris Long and DT Terrance Knighton.

Lawyer: Smith Shot 8 Times in Back

New Orleans — The killer of former Saints defensive end Will Smith shot him eight times in the back after deliberately ramming his Hummer into the NFL veteran’s Mercedes SUV hard enough to shatter its back window, the Smith family’s lawyer said Wednesday.

Throughout the confrontation, Smith never pulled out his weapon, which remained loaded but unused in a compartment inside his car, attorney Peter Thompson added.

A lawyer for Cardell Hayes, who was charged by police with murder after Saturday night’s shooting, said his client felt threatened by Smith that night. But Thompson called this a lie and a distortion, and said the real victims were Smith and his wife Racquel, who ended up hospitalized with bullet wounds in both legs.