Patriots Add Linebacker Marques Murrell

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed Tuesday that the Patriots have signed linebacker Marques Murrell.

Speaking on WEEI's Big Show, Kraft's revelation means New England has stocked its special teams — always a point of emphasis — with yet another capable player.  Murrell spent the past three years with the New York Jets after going undrafted out of Appalachian State.

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound younger brother of former Jets running back Adrian Murrell was a restricted free agent, but the Jets declined to offer even the lowest tender, allowing him to sign with any team.

Murrell's best year to date was 2009, when he registered 12 tackles in 10 games. Known for his ability to stop the pass, he should see a healthy dose of playing time both as a linebacker and on special teams.

Murrell made news for all the wrong reasons last October when he, along with James Ihedigbo, threw punches at Buffalo Bill tight end Derek Fine. The Jets benched Murrell for the following week against the Raiders because of the incident.