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The Patriots announced the signing of veteran defensive end Mark Anderson, a pass-rusher whose best season came as a rookie in 2006 when he had 12 sacks for the Chicago Bears.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Anderson, who entered the league as a fifth-round draft choice of the Bears, was with Chicago until Oct. 5 of last season. He was signed by the Texans the next day and ended up playing 11 games (2 starts) for them.

Anderson has started in 20 of 77 games, totaling 154 total tackles, 25.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has also played in three postseason games, including Super Bowl XLI.

His 12 sacks in 2006 were the most of any rookie that year.

The Patriots have been working with six-year veteran Eric Moore and second-year man Jermaine Cunningham as their top ends in a four-man line. Anderson now joins that mix as a depth player.

The team also announced the release of defensive lineman Marlon Favorite, who was a longshot to make the roster.

The Patriots and first-round draft choice Nate Solder have agreed to terms on a contract, a league source confirms.

Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times and National Football Post first reported the agreement.

Solder, the 17th overall pick in the draft, was the Patriots' lone unsigned selection. He had missed the first seven days of training camp.

The Patriots have veteran Matt Light returning at left tackle, and Light projects to be the team's starter in 2011. Light commented on Solder on Wednesday night.

"Drafting a guy that will come in and fill in for these old bones, it was inevitable," he said. "Hopefully we’ll have some fun teaching him a thing or two out here.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots have announced the re-signing of running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, as well as the signings of veteran guard/centers Chris Morris and Jonathan Compas and undrafted rookie running back Richard Medlin (Fayetteville State).

Green-Ellis had been tendered as a restricted free agent; it is unclear if the fourth-year veteran inked a new deal or simply signed his one-year restricted free agent tender. Due to CBA transition rules, Green-Ellis will not be able to practice until Thursday, or the start of the 2011 NFL League Year.

Morris, 28, worked out for the Patriots on Tuesday. He was originally drafted in the seventh round by the Raiders in 2006, and spent four seasons in Oakland before joining the Panthers in 2010. He has played in 51 career games, making 11 starts.

Compas, 25, entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Raiders, and played in two games as a reserve with the Buccaneers in 2009. He was released by Tampa Bay on September 24, 2010 and spent the remainder of the season out of football.

Both Morris and Compas will add depth to an interior of the Patriots offensive line that had only eight players in uniform for Tuesday's practice. The unit will be bolstered by the return of re-signed free agents Matt Light and Logan Mankins, but center/guard Ryan Wendell was out of practice on Tuesday and his status is unclear.

The team also confirmed the previously reported release of running back Thomas Clayton while announcing that rookie free agent guard Mike Berry has also been waived. Berry had not yet practiced after opening training camp on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.

The Patriots have informed running back Thomas Clayton that he will be released, a league source confirms.

The move, not unexpected, comes one day after second-round draft choice Shane Vereen -- a running back out of Cal -- signed a four-year contract with the club. This will create more repetitions for Vereen and fellow rookie Stevan Ridley (3rd round) in practice.

Clayton had an interesting history with the Patriots, joining the club as an unrestricted free agent June 11, 2010. He was released at the final roster cutdown, landed with the Browns' practice squad, but was re-signed to the Patriots' active roster on Sept. 30 when the club ran into some injury problems.

Clayton was released Oct. 23, landed in Cleveland again, and when the Browns waived him in early December, the Patriots claimed him.

Clayton played in one game last season, the finale against the Dolphins, and had six carries for 17 yards.

Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald first reported Clayton's release.

Wednesday marks the sixth day of Patriots training camp practices, and here is what can be expected in this space:

Things will be a bit later today, with just an evening practice inside the stadium for season-ticket holders and Foxboro residents (tickets required). I'll be joined by Mike Rodak and we will post observations after practice, highlighting some of the different things that catch our eye.

The expectation is that media members will be catching up with left tackle Matt Light, who re-signed Tuesday, as well as a few other players. Also, officials are scheduled to be in town to go over rule changes and points of emphasis.

Here is the schedule:

6:30-9 p.m. -- Season-ticket holder in-stadium practice

I will be active on Twitter (@MikeReiss), although not during each practice. The Patriots ask reporters for their cooperation in the following areas:

1. Not reporting on offensive or defensive strategy, which includes formations, personnel groups or non-conventional plays.
2. No quoting players or coaches during a practice.
3. Not reporting on practice until the session is over.

The Patriots announced the signings of second-round draft choices Ras-I Dowling and Shane Vereen to contracts today. Terms were not disclosed.

Dowling, a cornerback, was the top selection of the second round (33rd overall), while Vereen was 56th overall. They have missed seven practices in training camp (3 walkthroughs, 2 full pads, 2 shorts/shells).

Both are on the practice field for Tuesday's workout.

This leaves first-round draft choice Nate Solder as the team's lone unsigned pick.

The Patriots also announced the release of quarterback Jonathan Crompton and the signing of rookie free agent Christian Cox, a defensive end out of Utah. The 25-year-old Cox (6-3, 250) was a walk-on at Utah and earned all-conference honors in 2010 after starting 13 games with 53 tackles and four sacks.

Tackle Matt Light and the Patriots have agreed on a two-year contract, according to the Boston Globe.

Light, a 10-year veteran who has spent his entire career with New England, was an unrestricted free agent. He has made three Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls.

Talking about Light this morning, director of player personnel Nick Casserio said, “Matt’s been a good player for us for a long time. I’d say there are discussions that are ongoing. I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but Matt’s made a lot of contributions to this team, he’s been a good player, so we’ll see what happens.”

For more on Light's reported new deal, click here.

The Patriots on Saturday announced the re-signings of safety Brandon McGowan and linebacker Tracy White. Both were unrestricted free agents who will now return to the team.

Under CBA transition rules, neither player can practice until Aug. 4, or the start of the 2011 NFL League Year.

McGowan missed all of last season with a chest injury, but the seven-year veteran started 11 games for the Patriots in 2009, recording 79 tackles.

The 30-year old White returns a special teams presence for the Patriots after finishing second on the team last season with 18 special teams tackles.

In addition, the Patriots announced that undrafted rookie linebacker Anthony Leonard has been waived. Leonard said via his Twitter account moments before the team announcement that he was "placed on IR." In this case, Leonard was likely waived/injured, meaning that once he clears waivers he will revert to the team's injured reserve list.

Leonard participated in Saturday morning's full pads practice and did not appear to suffer any noticeable injury.

The New England Patriots re-signed veteran running back Kevin Faulk as part of five transactions the team formally announced Saturday morning.

Faulk, an unrestricted free agent, appeared in two games for New England last season before tearing the ACL in his right knee and sitting out the rest of the year. The 35-year-old Faulk has spent his entire 12-year career with the Patriots after being drafted by the team in the second round (46th overall) of the 1999 draft. He is currently the longest-tenured Patriot on the roster.

The four other moves formally announced by the Patriots: Offensive lineman Logan Mankins signed his franchise tender; unrestricted free agent running back Sammy Morris and restricted free agent defensive back Kyle Arrington re-signed with the team; and defensive lineman Steve Williams came to terms with the club.

The 6-foot-2, 306-pound Williams spent time with the Patriots back in May of 2009, but was waived four months later.

As part of their transactions made on Friday, the Patriots placed rookie offensive lineman Marcus Cannon on the active/non-football injury list, according to a league source.

The fifth-round selection, who underwent treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma earlier this year, officially signed his rookie contract with the team today.

Cannon finished his chemotherapy treatments earlier this month. He was seen at Friday afternoon's practice working with the team's strength and conditioning staff on the sidelines.

By placing Cannon on the active/NFI list, he is able to return to practice at any time. If Cannon does not return to action by the 53-man roster cutdown date (Sept. 3), the team will have the option of placing him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list, which would sideline Cannon for at least the first six weeks of the regular season.

In addition, there is one clarification to pass along regarding Friday's transactions. Undrafted rookie linebacker Ryan Coulson was waived/injured, meaning that if Coulson clears waivers, he will revert to the team's injured reserve list. Coulson did not finish Thursday afternoon's practice after suffering an injury late in the session.

Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington has signed a two-year contract with a maximum value of $3.275 million, his agents Sean Stellato and Richard Kopelman of Klass Sports said tonight. Arrington, who started 14 games last season, was an exclusive rights free agent.

Arrington will have base salaries of $525,000 in 2011 and $850,000 in 2012. He earned a signing bonus of $400,000.

"We are extremely pleased that the Patriots rewarded Kyle for his contributions last year and recognize that he will be a contributor for the foreseeable future," Kopelman said.

Added Stellato, "Being able to put this deal together resonated for me, because like Kyle, I played Division I-AA football and know first-hand how difficult it is for guys coming from those programs to succeed in the NFL. This is a testament to Kyle's character and the Patriots' ability to recognize talent when they go unnoticed by other organizations."

The Patriots on Friday announced the release of seven players: LB Tully Banta-Cain, CB Tony Carter, TE Alge Crumpler, T Nick Kaczur, DL Marcus Stroud, DL Ty Warren and rookie free agent LB Ryan Coulson from Nevada.

The team also announced the signing of third-round pick Ryan Mallett and five-round pick Marcus Cannon.

Third-round draft selection Ryan Mallett is set to sign his contract and could be on the practice field as soon as Friday morning.

Via his Twitter account this morning, Mallett said he was "headed to sign my contract. I can't wait to get out there."

With Mallett in the fold, the Patriots will have their top three draft choices remaining unsigned: running back Shane Vereen, offensive lineman Nate Solder, and cornerback Ras-I Dowling, as well as fifth-round selection Marcus Cannon.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The following five players have opened training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list, according to a league source:

DL Ron Brace
DL Brandon Deaderick
TE Aaron Hernandez
DL Myron Pryor
DE Ty Warren

The players can start practicing at any time during camp. If they do start practicing, they could not go on reserve/PUP, which would sideline them for at least the first six weeks of the regular season.

In addition, veteran safety James Sanders was placed on the active/non-football injury list, along with rookie free-agent guard Mike Berry.

The same rules apply to players placed on the active/non-football injury list.

The New England Patriots have acquired wide receiver Chad Ochocinco after he accepted a restructured three-year contract from the Patriots, a source told ESPN senior NFL writer John Clayton.

According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Bengals will receive two late-round draft selections, one each in 2012 and 2013, for Ochocinco.

Ochocinco was seen catching a plane to Boston on Thursday. He was scheduled to make $6.35 million for the Bengals this year. The Patriots wanted him to restructure his contract to fit their cap.

More on this story can be found HERE.