The Patriots signed wide receiver Mark Harrison, who — Gasp! — is a Rutgers graduate, and kicker David Ruffer from Notre Dame to fill out their 90-man roster.

Harrison, 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, is another terrific athlete with great measurables, including a 4.46 40-yard-dash time, 38.5-inch vertical and 129-inch broad jump at the NFL combine. He was inconsistent during his four years at Rutgers, but he did produce at a pretty good level his senior season with 44 catches for 583 yards and six touchdowns. He makes the fifth Rutgers rookie on the Patriots, joining teammates Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, Steve Beauharnais and fellow undrafted rookie Brandon Jones.

Ruffer went undrafted from Notre Dame last season but didn’t link on with an NFL team. He won the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s best place kicker, as a junior in 2010 after hitting 18 of 19 field goals, but his senior season was a disappointment as he missed six of 16 kicks. For his career, Ruffer hit 83 percent of his field goal attempts. He is likely in camp to push incumbent kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who struggled at times in 2012.

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Two days after waiving defensive end Brandon Deaderick, the Patriots decided to release veteran defensive tackle Kyle Love, as well. Love’s release comes as a result of a non-football-related injury, according to his agent Richard Kopelman of KLASS Sports.

“We have been informed by the New England Patriots that Kyle Love will be released NFI (Non-Football Injury/Illness),” Kopelman told Mike Reiss of ESPN. “This comes on the heels of Kyle having been diagnosed within the past two weeks with Type-2 diabetes. Naturally, we are disappointed that the Patriots decided to part ways with Kyle, especially in light of the fact that a number of elite professional athletes with diabetes – both Type-1, which is known to be far more difficult to manage than Type-2 diabetes – have had very successful careers in professional football, hockey, baseball and basketball.”

Love, 26, had experienced recent weight loss and had to change his diet accordingly, per Kopelman, but apparently the disease did not impact his offseason work with the team.

“Prior to the diagnosis, Kyle recently experienced unexplained weight loss, but since being diagnosed and having altered his diet, Kyle has regained most of the weight he lost, is in good health, and was not limited in any way during offseason workouts in which he was engaged up until being told he would be released.

Love is expected to adjust accordingly, and his NFL career shouldn’t be impacted by the disease.

“Having consulted with leading authorities on the effects of Type-2 diabetes, we have every reason to believe that Kyle will, in the immediate future, be at 100 percent, and will be prepared to participate in training camp in a couple of months. As Kyle said, ‘there is no way something like this is going to stand between me and a long and successful NFL career.’”

Love started 11 games for the Patriots in 2012, recording 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks alongside Vince Wilfork on the Patriots’ defensive line. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State after the 2010 draft. He played in nine games, recording seven tackles and one sack, during his rookie season, and followed that up with a full 16-game slate and career highs with 33 tackles and three sacks in 2011.

Love was slated to carry a $1.1 million cap hit in 2013, and the Patriots should save about $850,000 in cap space with the release.

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The Patriots announced a few roster moves on Monday, including the surprise release of veteran defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick.

Deaderick, 25, was a seventh-round pick in 2010 and has spent the past three seasons making contributions on the Patriots’ defensive line. He played in 34 games, starting 14, and managed 51 tackles and five sacks during his tenure in New England.

He played sparingly as a rookie but saw increased time in his second year, playing a significant role in the Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl in 2011. He played in 14 games in 2012, but lost playing time to Kyle Love and rookie Justin Francis as the season wore on. The additions of interior linemen Armond Armstead and veteran Tommy Kelly seem to have made Deaderick expendable, leading to his release.

The team signed two offensive lineman, adding some much-needed depth to their line, with former Chargers guard Tyronne Green, which his agent confirmed this morning, and undrafted rookie free agent R.J. Mattes.

Mattes, 6-foot-6, 313 pounds, was a four-year starter at North Carolina State, rotating his playing time between guard and tackle.

The Patriots also announced the release of wide receiver Andre Holmes.

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After adding a pair of wide receivers in Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce during the draft, the Patriots agreed to a deal with veteran wideout Lavelle Hawkins on Thursday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. His deal is for two years. He also visited with the New York Giants and Houston Texans before signing in New England.

Hawkins, 26, spent his first five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, enjoying his most productive season in 2011 — his only full 16-game season — catching 47 passes for 470 yards and a score. He also served as a great special teams player, returning kickoffs and punts at times as well as playing on coverage teams during all five seasons.

Hawkins joins a wide receiver crew that includes Danny Amendola, Donald Jones, Michael Jenkins, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater and the two rookies. So, making the roster won’t be a cakewalk, but if he can stay healthy then Hawkins would be a good depth option for the Patriots.

Oh, and he likes to hurdle defenders occasionally during the preseason. Check that out below.

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Photo via Twitter/@Lavelle_Hawkins

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones was in for a visit to Foxboro on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The plan is for Jones to work out for the team.

Jones, who just turned 26 on Wednesday, spent five seasons with the Cowboys after being selected 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL draft. He enjoyed some early success in a shared backfield with Marion Barber, averaging better than 5.2 yards per carry during his first three seasons, but he was never able to establish himself as a primary or durable option.

His injury history, which included just two full 16 game slates in five seasons, eventually saw rookie running back DeMarco Murray overtake the starting job during the 2011 season. Jones was reinserted as the starter for seven games in 2012, but he managed just middling stats with 111 carries for 402 yards and a 3.6 yards-per-carry average — well below his career average of 4.8.

With Stevan Ridley, who gained over 1,200 yards in 2012, Shane Vereen, Brandon Bolden, Leon Washington and newly added LeGarrette Blount already in house, Jones may have a tough time even making the roster never mind competing for playing time.

Jones has worked out for a few other teams recently, including the Philadelphia Eagles, according to the league transaction wire.

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Photo via Facebook/Felix Jones

The Titans decision makers are discussing signing veteran pass rusher John Abraham to a contract this week, according to ESPN’s Adam schefter.

Abraham has visited with a handful of NFL teams already this offseason, making his rounds but unable to find a deal suitable for both sides. He stopped in for a visit with the Titans last week and it sounds like that could be his final stop altogether.

While teams like the Broncos, Seahawks and Patriots all wait to see if his price will drop, the Titans are taking action and appear to have the inside track on signing Abraham.

There were rumors that Abraham was considering retirement, and a cryptic tweet he sent out last weekend only added fuel to that fire, but it seems he is still planning to take the field next season.

The Patriots were suspected to be the front runners for Abraham’s services, but if Abraham signs with the Titans, they may have to readjust their priority list.

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Photo via Facebook/John Abraham

Terrell Owens

Owens caught some passes from Brady at USC in early April and, like almost any intelligent NFL player, would want to play with Brady and the Patriots full time, according to BlindsideFootball.com.

“I think that’s a no-brainer,” Owens said. “You look at what they’ve done over the years. Under the tutelage of Tom and Coach [Bill] Belichick, I think the sky would be the limit in terms of what I’d be able to do. Considering my body of work and my history of playing the game.”

Owens also revealed that his training session with Brady was more of a coincidence rather than the well-thought-out plan it appeared to be.

“We happened to be on the same field at the same time and it obviously created a big buzz with the two of us being on the field throwing the football around,” Owens said. “There was really nothing organized about it as far as me trying to get with the Patriots or him pursuing me or anything like that. It just happened to be us being out there on the same field at the same time.”

The six-time Pro Bowl receiver has not played a game in the NFL for two seasons now, but he does still believe he can play at the highest level. The Patriots did have a glaring need at wide receiver earlier this offseason, but a strong draft at the position seems to have solved that issue. So, even if Owens is capable of returning to that All-Pro form, it’s unlikely Belichick is looking to add another receiver to the mix right now.

Plus, Owens has a newly established pro bowling career to attend to — and with scores like this, he’ll need to give it his undivided attention.

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The former Falcons defensive end is visiting with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The Titans are in need of a veteran pass rusher to help bolster their defensive line, and Abraham likely isn’t asking for quite as much money as fellow free agent Dwight Freeney.

Abraham has visited with other teams over the past few months, including the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and, of course, the Patriots. But he has yet to find a deal intriguing enough to sign on the dotted line. So, a reasonable offer from the Titans could change his mind.

The Patriots still appear to be the front runners for his services, but it’s unlikely they would sign him until sometime closer to the beginning of training camp. His visit with the Titans could always pique the Patriots’ interest and spark up contract talks in an effort to finally get a deal done.

There is always the chance that Abraham’s visit is just a smoke screen intended to regenerate interest from other teams. Then again, it seems no team is going to sign him until he lowers his asking price.

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Photo via Facebook/John Abraham

Just as reports of “aggressive discussions” about trading return specialist Jeff Demps began to sprout up, the Patriots made things official dealing him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE. The club announced the deal via Twitter as well, adding the deal was pending the trade terms.

The Patriots agreed to deal Demps and a seventh-round pick (No. 229 overall) to the Bucs in exchange for running back LeGarrette Blount.

Blount was very productive in his first two NFL seasons, gaining over 1,700 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns, but he took a backseat to rookie Doug Martin in 2012. Head coach Greg Schiano preferred Martin over Blount and the numbers proved that with Martin carrying the ball 319 times to Blount’s mere 41.

Blount won’t be expected to take on a feature role in New England, either. With Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen slated in as the Patriots’ primary backs, Blount will likely compete for the third tailback role with second-year back Brandon Bolden.

The hope is that he will add some good depth and can be the punishing between-the-tackles runner and take the lead in short-yardage like he showed during his first two seasons.

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Photo via Facebook/LeGarrette Blount

Demps spent last season on injured reserved, but was expected to be a major contributor on special teams in 2013. That changed a few weeks ago when Demps decided he was going to continue his track career and wanted to return to football around midseason, which likely didn’t sit too well with Bill Belichick.

The Patriots have been shopping him around for a few weeks now, but it appears a deal may be imminent, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

Demps’ agent Daniel Rose addressed his client’s future earlier in the week, hinting that if the Patriots don’t want him a number of other teams would be interested.

“I would think the lack of picks [for New England] a deal would be done over the draft as I am certain if the Patriots aren’t willing to let him do both there are other teams who will.”

Demps was a silver medalist on the USA Olympic 4-x-100 team at the 2012 Summer Games, but seemed ready to return to football afterward. He signed with the Patriots in August and played briefly during the preseason before being placed on season-ending IR.

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Photo via Twitter/@FerRangel76

The Patriots hosted three prospects at Gillette Stadium on Monday, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

The trio included Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton, UCLA defensive end Datone Jones and Florida State defensive end Cornellius “Tank” Carradine.

Each of the three are very intriguing prospects for the Patriots, given their needs heading into the 2013 season. Patton is especially interesting, considering their glaring need at wide receiver after the departures of Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd. Defensive end would also be an interesting area to address in this year’s draft as the Pats traded up to take defensive end Chandler Jones just last year.

The Patriots’ list of potential first rounders just continues to grow but, in just a little over a week, all the dust will be settled.

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The Patriots hosted Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown on a draft visit on Monday, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

Brown spent two fruitless years at Miami (Fla.) to start his college career before transferring to Kansas State and finishing out his final two years of eligibility with the Wildcats.

Brown was named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2011 after piling up 101 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss. He followed that up with another successful campaign in 2012, amassing 100 tackles, including seven for a loss in helping lead the Wildcats to the Big 12 title.

The Patriots are already stacked at linebacker with Jerod Mayo, Brandon Spikes and 2012 first-round pick Dont’a Hightower, but one of their biggest needs coming into the offseason was finding a solid coverage linebacker. Brown proved to be quick and agile in coverage, taking on both linebackers and slot receivers consistently during his two seasons in Manhattan, Kansas. He also intercepted 2012 first-round quarterback Robert Griffin III and expected top-10 pick Geno Smith during his college career.

Brown is on the fringe of the first round and may be a target for the Patriots when they pick at No. 29.

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Photo via Facebook/Arthur Brown

Sanders signed an offer sheet with the Patriots on Wednesday, agreeing to bolt from Pittsburgh for New England on a one-year deal. Now, the Steelers have until Monday to decide whether to keep the restricted free agent, which has the Steelers’ front office split.

The decision makers down in Pittsburgh are split 50-50 on whether to match the offer to Sanders, according to ESPN’s John Clayton. Half reportedly want to keep the talented wide receiver and the other half wants the draft pick.

The biggest issue for the Steelers right now is that they are tight up against the salary cap and Sanders’ $2.5 million deal, which is double the price of Pittsburgh’s original tender for him, would bring them even closer to that cap wall. There is also the notion that the Patriots have already sewn up some good will with Sanders and that he would bolt for New England after the season and the Steelers would be left with nothing.

Whatever decision the Steelers come to, the Patriots can at least feel good knowing they came away with a win.

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Photo via Facebook/Emmanuel Sanders

Gronkowski, who has undergone three surgeries already, is delaying a fourth surgery intended to check on his infection and install a new plate in the repaired left forearm, according to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. Instead, the Patriots tight end will continue his course with antibiotics for a few more weeks and see if the infection subsides completely.

Late last week, all signs pointed toward Gronk needing a fourth and eventually fifth surgery, drawing his his status for the start of the 2013 season into question. But his agent Drew Rosenhaus cleared the air, assuring Patriots fans that no decision had been made.

Gronkowski will still need a fourth surgery to replace the plate in his forearm either way, but if the infection clears out ahead of time then the All-Pro tight end would likely be back to full health by the time training camp opens.

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After signing Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to an offer sheet earlier on Wednesday, the Patriots also agreed to terms with one of their own, according to Mike Garafolo of USA Today.

Julian Edelman has re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year deal, returning another weapon to the Patriots’ offense. The deal likely wont’ have much guaranteed money, but it is laden with incentives, according to Ian Rapoport.

Edelman visited with the New York Giants late last week, leading to speculation that he could be headed out of town, but apparently it wasn’t much more than flirtation between the two sides.

His return to the Patriots gives Tom Brady at least one reliable option on offense and helps to beef up an otherwise unsteady receiving corps. Edelman caught 21 passes and three touchdowns in nine games in 2012, but a variety of injuries kept him off the field and a broken foot suffered in Week 13 sidelined him for good.

After sitting with a barren receiving corps for much of the offseason, the Patriots have now agreed to deals with five wide receivers this offseason. Assuming Sanders’ offer sheet goes through, the Patriots’ depth chart at receiver would include Danny Amendola, Donald Jones, Michael Jenkins, Sanders and Edelman. And for a team once concerned with their options heading into next season, they now appear fairly set at the position.

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Photo via Facebook/Julian Edelman

The Patriots have offered the wide receiver a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The details of the deal aren’t yet known.

Sanders is a restricted free agent with a third-round tender, meaning that along with paying Sanders the Patriots would have to send a third-round pick in this year’s draft to Pittsburgh to complete the deal.

The Steelers have five days to match the Patriots’ offer, but they might not even be able to. The Steelers are already right up against the salary cap and still have more free-agent needs to fill. If they do match New England’s money, they risk missing out on players like running back Ahmad Bradshaw and others who would help provide stability.

Sanders visited New England in March and there were rumors that the receiver had signed a tender with the team at that time. Those rumors were quickly shot down and it seemed that the Patriots may not be interested in signing Sanders after all. But rumblings about the team’s potential interest continued to surface, and it appears they were just patiently waiting to strike.

A third-round pick out of SMU in 2010, Sanders developed into a dangerous weapon for the Steelers during his three seasons in Pittsburgh. He enjoyed his most productive NFL season in 2012, catching 44 passes for 626 yards and a touchdown while playing all 16 games.

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Photo via Facebook/Emmanuel Sanders

Owens was spotted working out with Tom Brady at USC’s practice field on Wednesday, but it appears the Patriots have no interest in adding the enigmatic wide receiver, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

The Patriots do still have a need at receiver, and Owens is interested in continuing his NFL career, but it seems there is nothing to the connection.

Brady did work out with new Patriots receiver Danny Amendola earlier this week as well, so there is always the chance that Brady was merely in need of a throwing partner and Owens was the best available.

Whatever the reasoning, the Patriots’ search for more receiving depth continues on elsewhere.

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Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant is visiting with the Patriots on Thursday and Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Trufant is viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft class and is projected as a pretty firm first-round pick. He was on the cusp of the first round early in the draft process, but an exceptional showing at the NFL combine helped boost his draft stock. He measured in at 6-feet tall and ran a blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

Trufant developed into one of the nation’s best cornerbacks during his four seasons with the Huskies. He isn’t known to be a big playmaker, intercepting just six passes in his career, but he is a big, physical and fast corner with the ability to be a true No. 1. Trufant also has some lineage in the NFL. His brother Marcus is a 10-year NFL veteran and former first-round pick.

The Patriots have restocked their secondary in free agency, but they will be likely looking for some sort of upgrade at the draft in a few weeks.

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One prospect that is already in New England to visit with the team is Oklahoma wide receiver Kenny Stills, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Stills has been one of the Sooners’ most productive players over the past three season and quickly became quarterback Landry Jones‘ favorite target. He caught 204 passes and 24 touchdowns during his three seasons, including 82 grabs for 959 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012.

He isn’t projected as a first-round pick along with the likes of West Virginia’s Tavon Austin or Tennessee’s Cordarrelle Patterson, but Stills would offer the Patriots a true skill receiver to help Tom Brady on the outside — a problem they thought now jettisoned receiver Brandon Lloyd might solve. Stills measured in at 6-feet tall and ran a blazing 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February, making his athleticism a real point of intrigue.

The Patriots have already had a few visits with receivers like DeAndre Hopkins as is and they will have plenty more in the coming weeks — so don’t get too excited just yet — but Stills should be one guy to at least keep an eye on leading up to April 25.

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Photo via Facebook/Kenny Stills

The Patriots were present at Kansas’ pro day last week, and as it turns out they stuck around in Lawrence, KS, to privately work out a trio of Jayhawks on their own, according to NFL.com.

Quarterback Dayne Crist, defensive end Toben “Tobenchukwu” Opurum and safety Bradley McDougald were the three players that apparently piqued the Patriots’ interest.

Opurum is a quick, strong pass rusher, who hasn’t been given much attention as a prospect and might be available as a rookie free agent after the draft. McDougald, on the other hand, is quick and athletic but still has room to grow as a pure pass defender. He will probably come off the board late on the third day.

Crist is the most high profile of the three, although he didn’t have a great senior season at Kansas after transferring from Notre Dame. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw just four touchdowns to nine interceptions before losing his starting job during his only season with the Jayhawks.

During his lone full season as a starter (2010) in South Bend, Ind., Crist led the Irish to an 8-5 record and a victory in the Sun Bowl over Miami. He completed nearly 60 percent of his passes and threw 15 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, establishing himself as the future at the quarterback position. But head coach Brian Kelly benched him early in Week 1 of 2011, forcing Crist to transfer ahead of the 2012 season.

Each of the three are lower level prospects, but the Patriots clearly trust Weis’ judgement.

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