FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced the signing of unrestricted free agents safety Je'Rod Cherry and fullback Patrick Pass today. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Cherry, 30, has spent the last three seasons with the Patriots. The 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound safety played in 11 games in 2003, registering 12 special teams tackles. The eighth-year veteran appeared in all three of the Patriots postseason contests en route to their second Super Bowl championship. Cherry was originally drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. He played in 59 games and collected 54 defensive stops and 52 special teams tackles during his four seasons with the Saints. In 2000, he played one season with the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Patriots as a free agent the following campaign. In eight seasons, Cherry has tallied 105 special teams stops and 62 defensive tackles.
Pass, 26, played in 13 contests with one start at fullback for New England in 2003. The 5-foot-10-inch, 217-pounder was also an important contributor on special teams registering 10 tackles. Pass was originally drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL draft. During his four-year career, he has appeared in 49 games and has rushed for 119 yards on 29 carries. He also has 14 career receptions for 104 yards and one touchdown.
