FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced that they have signed OL Chris Barker, TE Allen Reisner and RB Marcus Thigpen to the practice squad and released QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, S Kanorris Davis and DB Daxton Swanson from the practice squad.
Barker, 24, was released by the Patriots on Sept. 1, 2014. He is in his second NFL season after spending the entire 2013 season on the New England roster. The 6-foot-2, 310-pounder, was claimed off waivers and awarded to the Patriots from Miami on Sept. 1, 2013. He appeared in four games, playing mainly on special teams. Barker was originally signed by Miami as a rookie free agent out of Nevada on May 3, 2013, but was released on Aug. 31, 2013.
Reisner, 25, has spent time with Minnesota (2011-12) and Jacksonville (2012-13) during his time in the NFL and has played in 15 games with seven starts, accumulating seven receptions for 58 yards. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder, originally signed with Minnesota as a rookie free agent out of Iowa on July 27, 2011. He rotated between the practice squad and the 53-man roster in 2011 and 2012, playing in six games in 2011 and four games in 2012. Reisner was claimed off waivers by Jacksonville on Dec. 24, 2012, and spent the entire 2013 season with the Jaguars. He signed back with Minnesota on April 15, 2014, but was released by the Vikings on Aug. 30, 2014.
Thigpen, 28, is a veteran of two NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins (2012-13). The 5-9, 200-pounder, originally signed with Philadelphia as a rookie free agent out of Indiana on April 27, 2009. He spent part of the 2009 training camp with Philadelphia and Denver before playing in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2009 through 2011. Thigpen was signed by Miami as a free agent on Jan. 30, 2012. In two NFL seasons, he has played in 32 games and has returned 77 kickoffs for 1,910 yards and one touchdown and returned 60 punts for 580 yards and one touchdown. In addition, he has seven rushing attempts for 26 yards and nine receptions for 112 yards with one touchdown. He was released by Miami on Aug. 30, 2014.
Bethel-Thompson, 26, is a third-year player out of Sacramento State, who has been with Miami (2011), Minnesota (2012-2013) and San Francisco (2013). He was signed to the Patriots practice squad on Sept. 1, 2014. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder, was originally signed by San Francisco on July 28, 2011, as a rookie free agent.
Davis, 24, was signed to the Patriots practice squad on Sept. 1, 2014. He spent the majority of the 2013 season on the Patriots practice squad but did see action in three regular-season games and two postseason games after being signed to the 53-man roster. The 5-10, 207-pounder, was originally signed by the patriots as a rookie free agent out of Troy on May 3, 2013.
Swanson, 23, was signed to the Patriots practice squad on Sept 1, 2014. He was signed by the Patriots as a free agent on May 22, 2014. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Indianapolis Colts on April 30, 2013, out of Sam Houston State. The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder was released by the Colts on Oct. 29, 2013 and was signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad on Nov. 18, 2013. He was released by San Francisco on May 12, 2014.
