FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots signed veteran free agents DE Andre Carter and DE Shaun Ellis today. Terms of the contracts were not announced.
Carter, 6-4, 255 pounds, is a veteran of 10 NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2001-05) and the Washington Redskins (2006-09). Carter originally entered the NFL as a first round draft pick (7th overall) of the 49ers in 2001 out of California. He was signed by Washington as an unrestricted free agent on March 15, 2006.
Carter has played in 149 career games with 133 starts and has accumulated 517 total tackles, 66 sacks, 30 passes defensed, 15 forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. He has registered double-digit sack totals three times in his career with a career-high 12.5 in 2002 with the 49ers and 10.5 in 2007 and 11.0 in 2009 with the Redskins.
Ellis, 6-5, 290 pounds, is a veteran of 11 NFL seasons with the New York Jets. Originally drafted in the first round (12th overall) by the Jets in the 2000 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, Ellis has started in 156 of 170 career regular season games and accumulated 552 total tackles, 72.5 sacks, 17 passes defensed, one interception, 13 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. Ellis was an immediate impact player for the Jets as a rookie, recording 8.5 sacks.
Ellis, who has earned two Pro Bowl berths (2003, 2009), had his two best statistical seasons in 2003 and 2004 when he registered a career-high 12.5 sacks followed by 11.0 sacks. Last season for the Jets, he started 15 games and finished with 36 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He also played in three postseason games and registered 2.0 sacks in a postseason game against the Patriots.
