FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today the signing of third-round draft choice RB Stevan Ridley and seventh-round draft choice DB Malcolm Williams. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Ridley, a running back from Louisiana State, was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft with the 73rd selection overall. Ridley, 5-11, 225 pounds, became the 13th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season with 1,147 rushing yards in 2010. His 15 touchdowns runs in 2010 tied Kevin Faulk (1997) for the fourth most in team history.
Williams, a defensive back from Texas Christian University, was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft with the 219th selection overall. Williams, 5-11, 200 pounds, originally signed with Oklahoma but ended up at Trinity Community College before going to Texas Christian University for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He contributed at safety and special teams at Texas Christian.