FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots placed starting guard Stephen Neal on the physically-unable-to-perform reserve list and backup tackle Ryan O'Callaghan on the injured reserve list on Tuesday.

The team reduced its roster to 75 players by the 4 p.m. deadline by making those moves with the offensive linemen and releasing fullback Kyle Eckel, cornerback Jason Webster and offensive lineman Ryan Wendell.

Neal had knee surgery after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. The Patriots can remove him from the PUP list at any time starting with the first day after the sixth week of the regular season to the final day of the ninth week.

Once the Patriots do that, the team has 21 days to activate him or place him on injured reserve, meaning he'd be out for the rest of the season.

Neal has played the past six seasons for New England. O'Callaghan, suffering shoulder problems, has been a backup since being drafted in the fifth round in 2006.

Eckel, the fourth-leading rusher in Navy history, was activated from the Patriots practice squad on Oct. 1 and had 33 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns. He spent 2005 and 2006 with the Miami Dolphins on the reserve/military list until Nov. 2, 2006, when he went on the commissioner's exempt permission list.