After he was released by the Indianapolis Colts in March, veteran running back Joseph Addai drew interest from several teams. Ultimately, however, he could not pass up an opportunity to play for the New England Patriots, the Colts' top rivals in the AFC for much of his tenure in Indianapolis.
"For me, I think the Patriots was the best fit," Addai said on Thursday, according to the Boston Herald. "As far as what they do, they do a lot on the offensive side of the ball, and I see myself fitting in. It was a smooth transition, coming from Indy to here."
Addai ran for 4,453 yards and 39 touchdowns during his six seasons with the Colts, but failed to top 500 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons. He signed a one-year, $1.368 million contract with the Patriots, with whom he will likely be a third-down back, assuming he makes the 53-man roster.
The 29-year-old Addai did demonstrate his elusiveness, side-stepping questions about which franchise (Colts or Patriots) defined the decade and dodging requests to compare Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Addai did praise Brady for helping him pick up the offense.
"Tom's been helping me out a lot," Addai said. "He's been showing me things, teaching me, explaining things to me, and understanding that it's going to take a while for me to get it, but I am getting it. It's a great experience to play with him."
