FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots filled out their 80-man roster by signing wide receiver Rod Owens and tight end Carson Butler on Monday.
Both are longshots to make the roster, but add depth at a time in training camp as the Patriots have been short-handed. The team had 67 players on the field for Sunday afternoon's practice, a low number for this time of camp, so signing Owens and Butler will help the coaching staff manage different players' workloads in practice.
The 6-foot, 183-pound Owens, who played at Florida State, will wear jersey No. 15. He was not selected in April's draft after leading the Seminoles with 61 receptions for 729 yards and 3 touchdowns last season, and signed with the St. Louis Rams as a rookie free agent in April. He was released in May.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Butler, a Michigan product, will wear No. 86. He has bounced around the NFL after entering the league as a rookie free agent in 2009, spending time with the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants.