The New England Patriots made another solid free agent move, signing Tommy Kelly after he was released from the Oakland Raiders, giving the team an important player at a position that sorely needed depth on the roster heading into the draft and the 2013 season.
According to ESPN.com, the Patriots signed Kelly to a two year deal said sources and that the 32-year-old will get a chance to contribute in a major way on defense. The Raiders released Kelly along with a number of other veteran's last month, including Michael Huff and Darrius Heyward-Bey, as the team tries to shed salary heading into next season. The Raiders' loss was New England's gain, as the team desperately needed some bodies on the defensive line.
Kelly has size and strength at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds and he had 45 tackles and one sack in 2012 after making 14.5 over the previous two years. Kelly is a durable player and has started in 16 games over the past five years. Kelly earned some praise from coach Bill Belichick in 2005 when the two teams faced off.
"Tommy Kelly is one of the best defensive linemen in the league. He's an outstanding player," Belichick said at the time.
The Patriots have Vince Wilfork and not much else on the defensive line after trading away Richard Seymour a few years ago and now they add a Pro Bowl player to the mix. The Raiders were ready to release Kelly and now must find a replacement, and they could look to Sharrif Floyd in the draft or John Abraham in the free agent market.
While Abraham is a defensive end, he still could provide depth on the line, and Floyd could be a perfect fit as a defensive tackle, as the Raiders have the third overall pick in the draft. Floyd is considered to be the best DT prospect in the draft and there is a chance he could stay in Florida and get drafted with the number two overall pick by the Jaguars.
The Chiefs are unlikely to use the pick on him and may draft and offensive lineman, leaving the Jaguars as the only team in the way of the raiders for getting him. Floyd is considered to be a beast on the line and he has the speed and athleticism to be a star in the NFL.
