The Patriots have signed 30-year old DE/OLB Eric Moore.  Moore played in 4 games for the Patriots last year and he had 14 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed.  Moore has now played in 33 games in his first five years in the NFL and he has 45 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed.  This was a good move for the Patriots as Moore already knows the defense.

UPDATE:  (12/20/2011) – The Patriots have waived Eric Moore.  He played in 2 games for the Patriots this year but he didn’t have any tackles.  This isn’t much of a loss for the Patriots.

The Patriots have signed 29-year old CB Nate Jones.  Jones played in 2 games for the Dolphins earlier this year and he had 1 tackle.  He has now played in 101 games in his first 8 years in the NFL and he has 213 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 16 passes defensed and 3 interceptions.  This is going to wind up being a good move for the Patriots who need all the help they can get in the secondary as they are giving up 307.5 yards passing per game this year.

The Patriots have placed 26-year old safety Josh Barrett on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to a calf injury.  Barrett played in 5 games for the Patriots this year and he had 17 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.  The Patriots will need Sergio Brown to step up the rest of the season.  He has played in 7 games for the Patriots so far this year and he has 22 tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass defensed.  The Patriots have brought back linebacker Niko Koutouvides, who was one of their last cuts before the 2011 season started.

The Patriots have signed 27-year old DT Marcus Harrison.  Harrison played in 5 games for the Bears in 2010 and he had 3 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  He has now played in 37 games in his first three years in the NFL and he has 55 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 passes defensed and 5 tackles for a loss.  This was a good signing for the Patriots as Harrison will replace Mike Wright (I.R.) on the roster.

UPDATE:  The Patriots have waived Marcus Harrison after he only spent one day on the roster.

The Patriots have signed 23-year old cornerback Phillip Adams.  Adams played in 15 games as a rookie for the 49ers last year and he had 13 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  The Patriots need help at cornerback and Adams should be able to give them more depth at the position, while also helping out on special teams.

The New England Patriots have signed 25-year old offensive guard Donald Thomas.  Thomas didn’t play at all last year for the Lions.  In his first three years in the NFL, Thomas has played in 17 games (13 starts).  This was a nice pickup for the Patriots as they needed more depth on the O-Line due to Dan Koppen’s injury.

The Patriots have signed 26-year old TE Dan Gronkowski.  Gronkowski’s brother (Rob) already plays for the Patriots.  Dan Gronkowski played in 12 games (4 starts) for the Broncos last year and he caught 8 passes for 65 yards (8.1 avg).  He has now played in 14 games (4 starts) in his first two years in the NFL and he has caught 9 passes for 69 yards (7.7 avg).  Dan Gronkowski will be used mostly on running plays for the Patriots.

The Patriots have signed 23-year old undrafted rookie long snapper Danny Aiken.  Aiken played in all four preseason games for the Bills, but they were already set at his position.  He will step right into the starting lineup for the Patriots, so he’s going to be under pressure from Day #1.

The Patriots have signed 34-year old OG Brian Waters.  Waters played in 16 games (all starts) for the Chiefs last year.  He has now played in 163 games (149 starts) in his first 11 years in the NFL.  Waters is known as a nasty run blocker and the Patriots were giddy to find him still available on the free agent market.  This was an outstanding signing for the Patriots.

The Patriots have signed 35-year old long snapper/tight end James Dearth.  Dearth didn’t play for the Chargers last year because of a fractured foot.  Dearth has now played in 146 games (1 start) in his first 12 years in the NFL and he has caught 3 passes for 10 yards (3.3 avg) with 1 TD grab.  The Patriots won’t be sending Dearth out on any pass patterns as they have brought him in to snap the ball on kicks and punts.

UPDATE:  (9/4/2011) – The Patriots have released James Dearth.