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          NFL Nation

          Patriots sign LB Jonathan Freeny

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterMar 12, 2015, 06:00 PM ET
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              Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
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          With an eye toward adding depth at linebacker and special teams, the New England Patriots signed former Miami Dolphins linebacker Jonathan Freeny on Thursday. Freeny was a restricted free agent, but Miami didn't tender him an offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.

          The 6-foot-2, 254-pound Freeny played at Rutgers, a school Bill Belichick has great respect for, as evidenced by the four Scarlet Knights alumni on the New England roster (defensive backs Devin McCourty, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon and tight end Tim Wright).

          Freeny entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Miami in 2011. He has played in 42 career games (zero starts).

          This marks the second day in a row the Patriots have signed a restricted free agent who was not tendered an offer by his prior team, as on Wednesday they brought aboard former Raiders cornerback Chimdi Chekwa.