FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots have reached an agreement with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour. Terms were not disclosed.

In a joint statement, the club and Seymour said, "We are very pleased that this situation has been resolved and that our complete focus can move back to the field. We firmly believe it is in our best interest to concentrate fully on training camp and the challenges that lie ahead for the upcoming season."

Seymour, 25, has earned three Pro Bowl berths in his four NFL seasons since being selected by the Patriots with the sixth overall selection in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-6-inch, 310-pound defensive lineman has played in 59 career games with 55 starts and has also started five of seven playoff contests. The former University of Georgia standout has led all Patriots defensive linemen in tackles in each of the last three seasons, all years in which he has been selected as a Pro Bowl starter for the AFC. Seymour was named a defensive captain by his Patriots teammates in each of the last two seasons. He is the first Patriots player to earn as many as three Pro Bowl nods in his first four NFL seasons since Mike Haynes (four selections in his first four years) and Russ Francis (three selections in his first four years) accomplished the feat after entering the league in 1976.