In a deal rumored for a bit, former Patriots running back Robert Edwards signed with the Miami Dolphins Wednesday and will get another chance to return to the football field.

Edwards got off to a fast start in the NFL when he ran for 1,115 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie in 1998. New England's first-round pick that year, Edwards was seen as the long-term replacement for Curtis Martin before a horrific knee injury suffered during a rookie all-star flag-football game during the week of the Pro Bowl sidelined him for two full seasons.

Tireless efforts to rehabilitate damage from the severely dislocated left knee put him in position to make a comeback attempt in training camp in 2001, but Edwards suffered a groin injury that sidelined him for much of camp. By the time he was able to take the practice field, he was well behind the other backs. He never was able to participate in a preseason game before being waived on Aug. 24 and had to watch the rest of the league play for the third straight year.

In addition to his rushing ability, Edwards showed a nose for the end zone and was a quality receiving option out of the backfield. He is the only player in league history to score a touchdown in each of his first six games. Edwards started 15 of the 16 games he played as a rookie and caught 35 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns.

Edwards will meet with the Miami media in a press conference at 3:30 p.m. (ET). The event can be heard on the Dolphins web site, www.miamidolphins.com.