Former Raiders second-round pick signed by Patriots

Safety Obi Melifonwu, the Raiders’ second-round pick in 2017, stretches at a team workout..Safety Obi Melifonwu, a second-round pick by the Raiders who was waived by Oakland on Oct. 23, has been signed by the New England Patriots, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Melifonwu, who played collegiately for Connecticut and went No. 56 to the Raiders in the 2017 draft, played five games last season, one as a starter. He was placed on injured reserve last December with a hip injury. He was waived on Aug. 23 to clear a roster spot for veteran Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and then was restored to IR.

The Raiders waived him for good on Oct. 23. One week later, Rodgers-Cromartie, who had replaced…