FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today the signing of DL Atiyyah (Ah-TEE-ah) Ellison to the 53-man roster. In addition, the Patriots signed DL Marlon Favorite to the practice squad.
Ellison, 6-3, 315 pounds, has spent time on the practice squads and active rosters for Carolina, Houston, Baltimore, San Francisco Jacksonville and Kansas City since joining the Panthers as a third-round draft pick out of Missouri in 2005.
He began his career on the Carolina practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster for the final 10 games and three postseason games of the 2005 season. After being waived by Carolina following training camp in 2006, he spent a week with Houston before being signed to the Baltimore practice squad. Ellison was signed to the 53-man roster for the final two games of the season but was inactive for both contests. He began the 2007 season on the Baltimore practice squad before being signed to the San Francisco 53-man roster from the practice squad Sept. 5, 2007 and was inactive for all 16 games for the 49ers.
Ellison spent the first 14 weeks of the 2008 season on the San Francisco practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster of Jacksonville on Dec. 10. He was inactive for the final three games of the 2008 season with the Jaguars. He played in 15 games with six starts for Jacksonville in 2009 and finished with 16 total tackles, one sack and one pass defensed. Ellison was waived by Jacksonville at the end of training camp in 2010 and then spent a week on the 53-man roster for Kansas City before being waived on Oct. 27.
Favorite, 6-1, 317 pounds, is a first-year player who spent his rookie season in 2009 on the practice squads of St. Louis, Kansas City, Seattle and New Orleans after originally joining the NFL as a rookie free agent with Carolina in 2009 out of Louisiana State. Favorite spent time with Buffalo in the 2010 offseason and then went to training camp with Indianapolis before being released prior to the start of the regular season.
