FOXBORO, Mass. — Amid a whirlwind of roster moves involving defensive linemen, the Patriots might have found themselves a good one in Eric Moore, who signed Dec. 3.
Despite playing in just four games — the majority of his snaps have come as a situational pass rusher as a defensive end and outside linebacker — Moore has racked up 13 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass defense.
Those are some impressive numbers for a 2005 fifth-rounder who had just 18 tackles, no sacks, no forced fumbles, no fumble recoveries and one pass defense in his previous stops with the Giants, Saints, Rams and Panthers. The Florida State product also spent part of 2010 playing for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League.
"I knew I was going to have an opportunity to play [in the NFL this season], but I didn’t know where," Moore said. "I have to give coach [Bill] Belichick and God the credit because they put me in different schemes and different situations to get better. I have to go out there and play, and I thank the guys in the secondary who are covering the guys to give me time [to get to the quarterback]."
There's no telling how Moore's late-season run will translate long term, but he said he definitely benefited from the added playing time he received in the UFL. And since he's signed through 2011, the Patriots will have the opportunity to bring him into training camp and get him fully acclimated into their defensive system, which is difficult to pick up on the fly.
Also, since defensive lineman Mike Wright (5.5 sacks in the regular season) has been placed on injured reserve, Moore entered Sunday's game against the Jets tied for fifth among active Patriots with two sacks.
And if Moore's four-game stint with the Patriots is any indication — he's recorded at least one sack, forced fumble or fumble recovery in each contest — he'll have some type of impact against the Jets.
"Eric is obviously a guy that has come in here and really worked extremely hard to understand what we’re trying to do on defense in multiple positions," Patriots linebackers coach Matt Patricia said. "And I think he’s a guy that just based off what he’s done here over the last couple of weeks, has shown that he is a productive guy on the field."
