The Patriots have signed 31-year old CB Deltha O’Neal.  O’Neal is a talented player who should help the Patriots out this season.  He played in all 16 games (8 starts) for the Bengals last season and he made 52 tackles, defensed 9 passes and he had 1 interception.  O’Neal will likely fit in on the nickel and dime packages for the Patriots this season.  O’Neal has now played in 116 games (75 starts) in his NFL career and he has made 354 tackles, has 15 sacks, has defensed 57 passes and he has 31 interceptions including 3 that he returned for TDs.  This was a good move for the Patriots.

The Patriots have signed 34-year old center Mike Flynn to a 1-year contract.  Flynn replaces center Dan Connolly who was cut because of his poor play in the preseason.  Flynn started 15 games last season for the Ravens.  He has now played in 134 games (115 starts) in his NFL career all with the Ravens.  This was a very solid player to find just sitting at home so this was an outstanding signing for the Patriots.

The Patriots have signed 36-year old safety John Lynch to a 1-year contract.  He will essentially replace Tank Williams who is out for the season as a enforcer on running downs as a box safety.  Lynch played in 13 games for the Broncos last season and he made 59 tackles, defensed 3 passes and he had 1 sack.  Look for Lynch to fit right in with the older veterans dotting the Patriots roster as he can still deliver a big hit.  Lynch has now played in 224 games in his NFL career and he has made 1,075 tackles, defensed 93 passes, has 13 sacks, has forced 16 fumbles and he has picked off 26 passes.  This was a good low risk/high reward signing for the Patriots.

The Patriots have signed 32-year old OT John Welbourn to a 1-year contract.  Welbourn is a big dude at 6′5″, 310 pounds and he has a lot of starting experience.  In fact, he started all 16 games for the Chiefs last season but that’s not saying too much based on the O-Line’s play there last year.  Welbourn has now played in the NFL 9 years covering 103 games (95 starts) so the Patriots made a smart move in signing him.

With the injury to Anthony Clement the Patriots felt the need to add another tackle for depth reasons.  Stokes has a lot of experience as he is 34 years old.  He is a big guy at 6′4″, 310 pounds and he can probably also handle playing guard for the Patriots.  Stokes was a Detroit Lion last season but he didn’t play in any games.  Stokes has now played in 83 games (44 starts) in his NFL career.  This was a good pickup for the Patriots.