FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots signed offensive lineman Damane Duckett today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Duckett, 28, has played in 20 games with one start for the Carolina Panthers (2004), New York Giants (2004-05) and San Francisco 49ers (2006). He was a member of the 49ers practice squad in 2007 and spent the 2008 season on injured reserve with San Francisco. The 6-foot-6-inch, 329-pound offensive lineman was originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Panthers on April 30, 2004. The East Carolina product entered the NFL as a defensive lineman and played in two games for Carolina as a rookie before being waived on Nov. 4, 2004, and signed to the Panthers practice squad on Nov. 6. He was signed to the Giants' 53-man roster on Dec. 1, and played in the final four games of the 2004 season on the defensive line for New York, recording five tackles and a sack. In 2005, he played in eight games as a reserve defensive tackle for the Giants and made one solo tackle and blocked a field goal. He was released by the Giants on Sept. 2, 2006, and was signed to the 49ers practice squad on Sept. 4. On Sept. 19, 2006, he was signed to the 49ers' active roster and played in six games at defensive tackle for San Francisco that season, making four tackles (2 solo). In 2007, he switched to the offensive line and spent most of the season on the 49ers practice squad before being signed to the active roster for the season's final two games, where he was inactive for both contests. Last season, Duckett was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury in August and missed the entire 2008 season.
