Patriots Reportedly Sign Guard Adding Depth To Offensive Line

The New England Patriots leaned on the free agent market in search of a depth booster for the team’s offensive line and found just that.

On Wednesday, the Patriots signed guard Nick Leverett, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Flower, closing the door on the 27-year-old’s three-year debut run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Leverett, who joined the Buccaneers in 2020 as an undrafted free agent out of Rice University, underwent a rocky stint in Tampa Bay. He first began as a member of the team’s practice squad but was briefly waived in 2021. That prevented Leverett from partaking in Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV victory over the Kansas City Chiefs as he wasn’t on the active roster.

Last season, Leverett made three appearances for the Buccaneers and didn’t register a single start. That was a major dip from when Leverett made 10 starts in 11 games and played in 94% of Tampa Bay’s snaps in 2022.

In New England, Leverett will presumably get a chance to compete for a starting role, perhaps sliding in for guard Mike Onwenu who could return to playing tackle again in 2024.