Patriots Sign 9 Undrafted Free Agents, Including Four Defensive Backs
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots emerged from the 2016 NFL Draft making nine selections, swinging three trades, and adding a 2017 fourth-round pick to replace the one lost in the team's DeflateGate penalty. They also dipped heavily into the undrafted free agent pool, signing nine players, according to CSNNE.
Here are the players the Patriots signed after the 2016 NFL Draft:
D.J. Foster, RB/WR, Arizona State
Devonta Burns, S, Texas A&M
De'Runnya Wilson, TE/WR, Miss State
Steven Scheu, TE, Vanderbilt
Woodrow Hamilton, DT, Mississippi State
C.J. Johnson, LB, Mississippi State
V'Angelo Bentley, CB, Illinois
Jonathan Jones, CB, Auburn
Cre'Von LeBlanc, CB, Florida Atlantic
Two takeaways from these signings...
1. Foster has the kind of offensive versatility that Bill Belichick loves and is rarely seen in the NFL. He played both running back and wide receiver at Arizona State, playing three years lining up in the backfield then switching to receiver as a senior. Foster averaged 5.3 yards per carry in his college career and added 222 catches for 2,458 yards with 32 total touchdowns.
2. The Patriots signed four cornerbacks, adding to second-round pick Cyrus Jones, indicating that the team is preparing to develop the future at that position and leaving the status of Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan - both set to become free agents after the 2017 season - uncertain.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.