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          NFL Nation

          Brennan Williams joins practice squad, sparks thoughts of Patriots history

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterOct 20, 2015, 09:30 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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          FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots signed offensive tackle Brennan Williams to their practice squad Tuesday, adding another layer of depth at a position that has had a run of injuries.

          Williams, the son of former Patriots defensive end Brent Williams, tweeted about his link to Patriots history.

          Brent Williams played for New England from 1986 to 1993.

          Brennan Williams, 24, entered the NFL as a third-round draft choice of the Texans (89th overall) in 2013 and spent his rookie year on season-ending injured reserve. He was released by the Texans on July 21, 2014, was out of football last season and went to training camp with the Jaguars in 2015.

          Born in Easton, Massachusetts, he attended Catholic Memorial High School and then the University of North Carolina.

          The addition of Williams to the practice squad wasn't the only player-related news that included New England ties, as University of New Hampshire alum Jared Smith was in for a workout. Smith entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice of the Seahawks, switching from defensive line to offensive line. He hasn't played in a regular-season game, and was most recently with the Falcons in 2015 training camp.