Dan Orlovsky says that no one should read into Tom Brady selling his Massachusetts home because Patriots owner Robert Kraft would rather lose football games than lose his franchise quarterback. (1:53)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots waived Danny Etling on Tuesday, the team announced, which ends an experiment in which the quarterback was attempting to switch to wide receiver.

The Patriots needed to create a roster spot to make room for tight end Eric Saubert, who was acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Falcons for a conditional seventh-round draft choice.

Etling's transition to receiver, with additional responsibilities on special teams, captured the attention of many at Patriots training camp. Receiver Phillip Dorsett said Etling -- who was a 2018 seventh-round draft choice out of LSU -- reminded him of New Orleans Saints quarterback/slash option Taysom Hill.

The Patriots also have a notable history of players making a successful position switch, headlined by Julian Edelman going from college quarterback to NFL receiver.

Quarterback Danny Etling had been working at wide receiver this offseason to try to increase his roster chances with the Patriots. AP Photo/Steven Senne

Etling spent his 2018 rookie season on the Patriots' practice squad, but in an unusual twist, the team had him attend road games. Practice-squad players usually don't travel, but coach Bill Belichick said Etling could benefit from being around the team, and Etling's work ethic was widely respected in the organization. He was often the last player to leave the practice field in training camp.

But the Patriots selected Auburn's Jarrett Stidham in the fourth round of this year's draft, and that ultimately bumped Etling off the quarterback depth chart, with no room for a fourth option behind Tom Brady, veteran Brian Hoyer and Stidham.

So he transitioned to receiver, but in recent days Etling had some struggles at the position. He was the intended target on an incomplete fourth-down pass in the preseason opener Thursday night and also was penalized for illegal formation.

Then in Monday's practice, he bobbled a pass that was intercepted. He was also the intended target on another pass that was picked off.