FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today that they have signed DL Anthony Johnson. Terms of the contract were not announced.
In addition, the Patriots traded LB Jonathan Bostic to the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed draft pick.
Johnson, 22, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Miami Dolphins on May 12, 2014. The 6-foot-2, 317-pounder, made the Miami 53-man roster as a rookie and played in seven games, recording two tackles and recovering one fumble. He was released by Miami at the end of training camp in 2015 and was signed by the Washington Redskins' practice squad in November. Johnson was released by Washington on May 2, 2016.
Bostic, 25, was acquired by the Patriots in a trade with the Chicago Bears for a 2016 sixth-round draft selection on Sept. 29, 2015. The 6-foot-1, 245-pounder, was originally drafted by Chicago in the second round (50th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Florida. He has played in 40 career games with 18 starts over his three NFL seasons and accrued 140 tackles, two sacks, one interception, four passes defensed and one fumble recovery. Last year, Bostic played 11 games with one start for the Patriots, finishing with one tackle on defense and two special teams tackles.