FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced today the signing of 11-year veteran G Brian Waters. Terms of the contract were not announced.

In addition, the Patriots released LS James Dearth and OL Steve Maneri.

Waters, 6-3, 320 pounds, spent the last 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs (2000-10), where he earned four Pro Bowl berths while playing in 163 regular seasons games with 149 starts. He originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent tight end with the Dallas Cowboys in 1999 out of North Texas but was released prior to the start of the regular season. Waters signed with Kansas City on February 3, 2000 and switched to the offensive line. He spent the spring of 2000 playing in NFL Europe for the Berlin Thunder. Waters played tight end for his first three years at North Texas before moving to the defensive line as a senior.

Waters earned Pro Bowl berth in 2004-06 and in 2008 and earned the 2009 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his off-the-field community service in addition to his on-field successes.

Dearth, 6-4, 265 pounds, was signed by the Patriots on August 30, 2011. He is a veteran of 11 NFL seasons with Cleveland (1999), the New York Jets (2001-09) and San Diego (2010). He originally entered the NFL as a sixth round draft pick of Cleveland out of Tarleton State in 1999.

Maneri, 6-6, 290 pounds, spent the majority of the 2010 season on the New England practice squad. He was claimed by the Patriots off waivers from Houston on September 5, 2010 and spent the first three weeks on the 53-man roster before being released and signed to the practice squad. He originally signed with Houston as a rookie free agent out of Temple on May 7, 2010.