FOXBOROUGH, Mass.- The New England Patriots signed rookie wide receiver Ricky Bryant to the practice squad today. Bryant fills the eighth and final spot on New England's practice squad.

Bryant, 23, was originally signed by the Patriots as a non-drafted rookie free agent on May 2, 2004. He was released by New England on July 25 and later re-signed on Aug. 1. The 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pound receiver participated in all four of the Patriots' 2004 preseason games, recording four receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown. He was the Patriots' leading receiver in the preseason opener against Philadelphia on Aug. 13, grabbing three passes for 34 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown strike from Rohan Davey. He was released by New England as part of the final preseason roster cuts on Sept. 5.

Bryant attended Hofstra University, where he led the Pride in receiving for two seasons after transferring from Ohio State. At Hofstra, he caught 67 passes for 793 yards and four touchdowns as a junior in 2002 and added 60 receptions for a career-high 897 yards and three touchdowns as a senior in 2003