Bill Belichick is up to his old tricks again.
The Patriots signed former Jets and Giants tight end Eric Tomlinson on Tuesday. Tomlinson was on the Giants’ 53-man roster for the first three games of the season after he was released by the Jets this summer on roster cut down day.
The Patriots first showed interest in Tomlinson when they brought him in for a workout back in September. Matt LaCosse was injured in Thursday’s win over the Giants and fullback Jakob Johnson was placed on injured reserve. In addition to bringing in Tomlinson, the team re-signed Benjamin Watson, who has not played this season due to a four-game suspension to begin the season, on Monday.
Tomlinson played in 39 games for the Jets from 2016-28, catching 16 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown over that span. With the Giants, Tomlinson played just seven offensive snaps, but was on the field for 40 special teams plays.
For the Patriots, Tomlinson can be a contributor on special teams, as well as a solid blocker in the run game. He also can provide knowledge of New York’s tendencies and Adam Gase’s offensive scheme, as he got a glimpse of how Gase runs his unit this offseason.
