Alan Branch officially signed with the New England Patriots on Wednesday, and he reportedly is unlikely to miss any time because of an incident earlier this year.
Branch resolved his August DUI charge before a Nov. 1 deadline, a source with knowledge of the situation told ProFootballTalk. Branch would have been handed a mandatory two-game suspension under the NFL’s new substance abuse policy if he hadn’t wrapped up the charges.
Branch practiced with the Patriots on Wednesday, wearing No. 97, after the defensive tackle’s status with the team was up in the air for over a week. Branch worked out with the Patriots last Tuesday and was spotted in the locker room Thursday.
Branch was cut by the Buffalo Bills in August, one day after being charged with the DUI. He will receive a two-game fine and won’t be suspended “barring unusual circumstances,” according to ProFootballTalk.
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