The New England Patriots have been looking for some added off-ball linebacker depth throughout training camp, and found some Wednesday.
The Patriots signed former Buffalo Bills linebacker Joe Giles-Harris. The move comes just days after Terez Hall was released with an injury designation and eventually placed on injured reserve, opening up a need in the middle of the defense.
Giles-Harris is a veteran of four NFL seasons, originally entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Duke. He spent his first two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before eventually signing with Buffalo and spending two seasons on its practice squad. The 6-foot-2, 234-pounder has appeared in 17 games across four seasons, making three starts in 2020.
The 26-year-old hails from the same hometown (Nyack, NY) as former Patriots defenders Devin and Jason McCourty, and beat out a number of other ‘backers for the roster spot.
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Mike Reiss of ESPN noted the Patriots brought in three other linebackers Wednesday for workouts — Dillon Doyle out of Baylor, Tyreek Maddox-Williams out of Rutgers and former USFL Defensive Player of the Year Frank Ginda.
The Patriots’ roster is now full ahead of their first preseason game Thursday.
Featured image via Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports Images
