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FOXBORO - The disappointing career of running back Laurence Maroney took a turn for the worse Monday when the Patriots placed him on the injured reserve list, shelving him for the remainder of the season.

The first-round draft pick out of Minnesota in 2006 apparently has a nagging shoulder injury. He was limited to appearances in three games this season, totaling 93 yards on 28 rushes.

Maroney was one of four players involved in transactions prior to Monday night's game against the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium.

Veteran offensive guard Stephen Neal was activated off the reserve-physically unable to perform list, offensive lineman Dan Connolly was released, and cornerback Mike Richardson was signed off the practice squad to maintain a full contingent on the 53-man roster.

Maroney has shown signs of struggling over the course of the entire season, running tentatively and trying to avoid contact. Inactive for the past two games and seeing limited action before that, he referred to his shoulder situation Wednesday as having "issues," and had also apparently become sensitive to criticism from the media and fans in the stance. He addressed some of that criticism in a brief exchange with reporters late last week. "Well, all I can say is I'm trying," Maroney said in the locker room. "At the end of the day, no matter what the media say, no matter how they perceive me, how the fans perceive me, I'm trying. At the end of the day that's all I can do. If I was out here and not trying that's one thing, but I'm actually out here trying to do what I can do so I really don't care what everybody else says. The coaches know the issue, and we just trying to make the issue better.

"You're going to get criticism because people don't really know what it is and they don't know what you're dealing with," Maroney added. "So all they're going to know is what you put out on the TV. So you're going to get criticism until they find out exactly what is going on and what's the problem, so I really don't pay it any attention. I just keep doing what I can do and try to make the best of it."

Maroney, 23, has played in 30 games with nine starts since being the 21st overall selection in the 2006 draft. He has recorded 388 career rushes for 1,673 yards (4.3 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. He has also caught 26 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown and has recorded 28 kickoff returns for 783 yards (28.0 avg).

Neal, 32, gives the Patriots an infusion of experience on the offensive line at a time when, with 19 sacks surrendered through five games, it appears to need the help.

The former Cal State-Bakersfield champion wrestler has started 52 of 55 career games with the Patriots. After missing the entire 2003 season due to injury, Neal played in all 16 contests in 2004, starting the final 14 games at right guard. He started every game at right guard in 2005 and started 13 games at right guard in 2006. Last season, Neal played in eight games, starting each one at right guard, before suffering a knee injury early in Super Bowl XLII.

Connolly, 26, has played in four career games, all with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005. The 6-foot-4, 313-pound lineman was originally signed by the Jaguars as a rookie free agent out of Southeast Missouri State prior to the 2005 season. He was released last Sept. 1, was signed to the Patriots' practice squad 11 days later, and spent the remainder of the season on New England's practice squad.

Richardson, 24, was originally selected by the Patriots in the sixth round (202nd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound cornerback has not played in an NFL game, but had an impressive rookie training camp before suffering a knee injury and being placed on injured reserve.

Quick kicks

The Patriots, who wore their blue uniforms for the first time this season, placed WR Kelley Washington, CB Terrence Wheatley, RB LaMont Jordan, LB Eric Alexander, OT Nick Kaczur, DL Jarvis Green and LB Shawn Crable on their inactive list, with Matt Gutierrez as the third quarterback. The Broncos' inactives were WR Brandon Stokley, RB Selvin Young, RB Ryan Torain, DE John Engelberger, OT Erik Pears, TE Tony Scheffler and DT Nic Clemons, with no third quarterback ... Wrentham's Ayla Brown sang the National Anthem ...

With three sacks of Matt Cassel through the first 18 minutes of play, the Patriots had exceeded their total of sacks from last year in just six games. They entered the game with 20 (19 of Cassel, one of Kevin O'Connell) and surrendered only 21 all last year ... Sammy Morris raced over the 100-yard mark with a 34-yard carry off left tackle in the second quarter. It marked his third 100-yard game as a Patriot and fourth overall ... Morris' 34-yard run was the longest by a Patriot this year ... Cassel had been sacked six times through three quarters, but he had also thrown three touchdown passes ... Gary Guyton registered his first career fumble recovery and Mike Wright had his first sack of the season ... Rodney Harrison suffered a knee injury at the end of the third quarter and did not return ... After registering just one takeaway via fumble in five games, the Patriots forced and recovered three fumbles by the Broncos in the first half.