FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots re-signed exclusive rights free agent defensive tackle Ethan Kelley today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Kelley, 25, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL draft with the 243rd overall pick. The Baylor product was released on Sept. 1, 2003, but he re-signed with the team and spent his rookie season on the Patriots' practice squad.
Last year, the 6-foot-2-inch, 310-pound defensive lineman made the team but was listed among the squad's inactive players for each of the first 15 games of the season. He made his NFL debut in a reserve role in the 2004 season finale when the Patriots hosted the 49ers (1/2/05). He was credited with one solo tackle in the game. He was active for the Patriots game at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship, but did not play.
