FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots signed free agent fullback Heath Evans today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. To make room for Evans on the 53-man roster, the team released running back Amos Zereoue. Evans will wear number 44 for the Patriots.
Evans, 26, is in his fifth NFL season and has played in 67 career games with three starts for the Seattle Seahawks (2001-04) and Miami Dolphins (2005). The 6-foot, 250-pounder played in six games for Miami this season, starting twice at fullback before being released on Oct. 25. In his career, Evans has run the ball 34 times for 108 yards and has caught 16 passes for 104 yards. He has also returned 13 kickoffs for 189 yards and has made 15 special teams tackles. The Auburn University product was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft.
Zereoue, 28, was signed by the Patriots on Sept. 28, 2005 and played in three games for New England. The 5-foot-8-inch, 205-pound running back recorded seven rushes for 14 yards and caught one pass for five yards in a Patriots uniform. The West Virginia University product was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (95th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft, and has played in 84 games with 17 starts over six seasons with the Steelers (1999-2003), Oakland Raiders (2004) and Patriots (2005).
