FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- It was a bit of a surprise when the New England Patriots and veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne decided to mutually part ways prior to Saturday’s NFL roster cut-down deadline.

When the Patriots signed the future Hall of Famer on a one-year, $2.8 million max-value contract, with a $450,000 signing bonus, many players were thrilled Wayne was in the mix. He played only one preseason game, and despite his exit from New England, he still left an impression in the locker room.

“He’s just a true professional,” said Patriots’ Julian Edelman. “He comes in and does his work. He’s a guy you can really learn from. He’s a great teammate. He was a good teammate for however long we had him and I wish him the best, but you definitely learned a lot of things from how he prepared, and just his demeanor and his level mindedness. He’s a true vet pro.”

Edelman didn’t seem too surprised when asked for his thoughts about Wayne’s decision to leave the Patriots after a week.

“There’s always craziness when it comes to this time of the year,” he said. “You think more about the opponent and what you have to do to get yourself on the field, be better and you’ve got to think that mindset. Other things are just part of the game.”

Another surprise was running back Jonas Gray getting cut. On the flip side, seeing wide receiver Chris Harper, center David Andrews and linebacker Rufus Johnson earning roster spots can energize the veteran core in the locker room.

“It’s awesome,” said Edelman. “They’re here to help us. It’s a tough part of the year. We all go through it. It’s over and the more we can start thinking about the Steelers the better we’ll do. Everyone here is here to help us.”

Harper’s presence on the wide receivers corps excites Edelman too.

“It’s crazy. Harp’s 21, young and like a kid but he came out here and worked his tail off,” Edelman said. “He’s made plays when the play’s been thrown to him and he’s known what to do. I root for those kinds of guys because I was that kind of guy. It was awesome to see that and hopefully he can come in and help us.”

For those players cut from the squad, the veterans appreciate the hard work those players put in during training camp and the preseason exhibition schedule.

“It sucks but it’s part of the job and we all kind of know that. It doesn’t stop people from going out and working hard,” said Patriots’ Dont'a Hightower. “This is obviously something a lot of us have done since we can remember, so playing the game is something everyone wants to do. Even though the cuts are coming everybody knows you can’t run from the inevitable and it could be another door opening. It sucks but it is part of what we do.”