Patriots sign tryout RB, release veteran DT to make room

The New England Patriots announced they have signed running back Trayveon Williams after a successful workout on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the team also announced the release of veteran defensive tackle Eric Johnson.

Williams, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, spent the last six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has played in 68 games with 62 rushing attempts for 307 yards, while also hauling in 15 receptions for 74 yards. He has also proven to have value on special teams, returning 33 kicks for 743 yards.

The Patriots cut Johnson from the team to make room for Williams. Johnson played in 11 games for New England last season and had 17 total tackles.

This could be a good opportunity for the Patriots to get an extended look at Williams' potential value as a possible depth option. The team is already loaded at the running back position with Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, Terrell Jennings and rookie TreVeyon Henderson. They also signed highly-touted undrafted rookie Lan Larison.

Williams will have his work cut out for him.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots sign tryout RB, release veteran DT to make room