Report: Patriots Sign Fred Taylor

The Patriots don't have much cap room, but that hasn't kept them from being busy in free agency. NFL.com's Adam Schefter is reporting that New England has worked out a deal with free agent running back Fred Taylor.

Taylor will join a very crowded New England backfield that already includes Kevin Faulk, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Sammy Morris and Lawrence Maroney. Maroney, the Patriots' first-round pick in 2006, is edging ever closer to bust status, as New England has now brought in a free-agent back in each of the past two seasons (Lamont Jordan was signed last year) because of the team's worries about Maroney's productivity.Taylor is 33 and he's coming off a year where he averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry, but he averaged 5.4 yards per carry in 2007 and 5.0 yards per carry in 2006, and he's topped 1,000 yards in five of the last six years. And with Faulk, Morris and maybe Maroney on the roster, the Patriots should be able to use him sparingly enough to help keep him fresh.

It will be strange to see Taylor wearing something other than Jaguars' teal, but after 11 seasons without a Super Bowl ring, Taylor picked a team that gives him a better shot to touch the Lombardi Trophy before he retires.