Patriots Add A Couple of Depth Players in DT Watts, and OL Leverett
Patriots are adding depth and addressing needs ahead of next month's draft.
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The Patriots were busy adding some additional depth on Wednesday, adding Steelers free agent defensive tackle Armond Watts and offensive lineman Nick Leverett from Tampa Bay.
Watts is an interior lineman who was solid against the run for the Steelers and also did a decent job bringing interior pressure, which should make him a nice addition up front.
According to Pro Football Focus, Watt had a career-high performance in 2023, with an average depth of tackle of 2.56 yards in the ground game. In New England’s meeting against them last season, Watt finished among the Steelers’ leading tacklers, finishing with five tackles including 1 for a loss during the Patriots 21-18 win in Pittsburgh in Week 14.
He’ll hopefully pick up some of the slack left by the release of Lawrence Guy, with Guy having been released by the club ahead of free agency but remains unsigned as of Thursday morning.
As for Leverett, he’s a player who can play both guard and tackle, which adds some depth to New England’s offensive line. Leverett played left guard for the Buccaneers, adding some additional insurance for the Patriots depending on where Cole Strange’s knee is by the club takes the field this summer.
(Editor’s Note: The above appeared in a recent daily Patriots notebook column.)