The New England Patriots have signed tight end Eric Tomlinson to the active roster, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Tomlinson, a 2015 undrafted free agent, spent the first three years of his career with the New York Jets before making a brief cameo with the New York Giants in 2019. Tomlinson fills the final spot on the roster which had been vacated by placing fullback Jakob Johnson on the injured reserve.
The #Patriots are making a move to bolster their tight end position, signing former #Giants and #Jets TE Eric Tomlinson to their 53-man roster, source said. The knee injury to Matt LaCosse left them a little short.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 15, 2019
Eric Tomlinson, New England Patriots Agree to Deal
Rapoport cites Matt LaCosse‘s injury as a reason for the signing. LaCosse suffered an MCL injury in Thursday Night’s win over the New York Giants and should be sidelined for the next couple of weeks. The Patriots were expected to use their final roster space on tight end Ben Watson, but apparently felt Tomlinson was a better fit for the current team. Watson, of course, initially signed with the New England in the offseason before serving a four-game suspension to start the season. The Patriots released Watson when his suspension ended but re-signed him after Week 6.
Tomlinson initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Tomlinson failed to make the final roster and spent the season on the Houston Texans’ practice squad. Tomlinson began 2016 with Houston’s practice squad before signing with the Jets’ active roster midway through the season. New York immediately put him to use, as Tomlinson made five starts in his seven games with the team. The former undrafted free agent didn’t record a catch and primarily worked as a blocking specialist. Tomlinson returned for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, appearing in a combined 23 games while recording 16 receptions for 193 yards and one touchdown on 25 targets.
The Jets re-signed Tomlinson in the 2019 offseason, but the veteran couldn’t make the active roster. He wasn’t unemployed for long, as the New York Giants claimed him off waivers. However, New York released Tomlinson after three games.
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