FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots signed former Oakland Raiders tackle Gerard Warren on Saturday as they continued to restock their defensive line.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick announced the deal after the NFL draft, but he didn't reveal terms.
"We've talked with him off and on, and we just were able to work that out," Belichick said. "He's been a very productive player through the course of his career, especially in recent years."
The Patriots, who lost defensive end Jarvis Green to the Denver Broncos in free agency, also signed defensive tackle Damione Lewis on April 10 after the Carolina Panthers released him.
Warren, the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, two with the Broncos and three with the Raiders, who released him March 11.
Warren started all 32 games in which he played the past two seasons and had 74 tackles and six sacks. He has 295 tackles and 32 sacks in his 135 career games, 127 of them starts. However, his teams have reached the playoff only once in nine seasons.
Cleveland drafted Warren three picks before New England took Richard Seymour in 2001. The Patriots traded Seymour to the Raiders before last season. Lewis was taken by the St. Louis Rams with the 12th pick in that draft.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
