Looking to add depth at what has become a thin offensive tackle spot, the Patriots signed former Buffalo Bill and New York Giant Marques Sullivan, 26, on Friday.
[
]()The 6-5, 325-pound offensive lineman has experience at both left and right tackle as well as guard and will provide needed depth across the front.
The Patriots received a scare last week when left tackle Matt Light was helped off the field with 11:04 to go in the fourth quarter against the Ravens. With starting right tackle Tom Ashworth and backup swing tackle Adrian Klemm already on injured reserve, the Patriots had only current starters Light and Brandon Gorin active at that position with inexperienced Lance Nimmo on the practice squad.
Sullivan was waived by the Bills in early September and claimed by the Giants on Sept. 6. He was inactive for all 11 games in New York before being waived on Nov. 30 and scooped up by the Patriots.
He was originally a fifth-round pick (144th overall) by the Bills in 2001 and played in 10 games as a rookie with two starts, one each at left tackle and right tackle. In 2002, he made the jump to a full-time starter at right guard and one was one of three Bills linemen, along with Ruben Brown and Trey Teague, to start all 16 games. But he seemed to fall out of favor last year when he played in only six games with four starts for the Bills. He was actually inactive for the first eight games, but started the last four at left tackle in place of the injured Jonas Jennings. He has played in 32 NFL games with 22 starts.
Sullivan played collegiately at Illinois where he was a four-year starter, playing right tackle early in his career and left tackle his last three years.
To make room for Sullivan on the 53-man roster, the Patriots once again parted ways with 6-1, 202-pound wide receiver Kevin Kasper, who was released last week in favor of defensive back Omare Lowe and then re-signed following the Ravens game while Lowe was released and re-signed to the practice squad. Kasper, 26, was originally signed by the team back on Oct. 6 and played in six games for New England this year.
