The New England Patriots addressed their need for depth at running back on Thursday evening, reaching an agreement with 11-year veteran and free agent Fred Taylor.
Taylor, 33, was released by Jacksonville last week for salary cap reasons, after playing his entire career with the Jaguars. He was scheduled to earn a base salary of $6 million in 2009 and was also due a $1 million bonus in coming weeks.
The terms and financial details of the contract with New England, which will be officially signed on Friday, were not immediately available. The deal was confirmed by sources from the team and close to the player.
The 16th-leading rusher in NFL history, with 11,271 yards and 60 touchdowns, Taylor visited on Wednesday with Buffalo Bills officials. At the time, there were strong indications Taylor would sign with the Patriots’ AFC East rival. But the Patriots persuaded Taylor to leave Buffalo without a contract, and coach Bill Beliehick’s sales pitch proved effective.
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