FOXBORO — The signing of veteran defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois on Tuesday was designed to give the Patriots needed depth up front.
“He’s been on several different teams, played in different systems, played 3-4 end, played inside on the guard,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. “We’ll see how it goes.”
In 115 career games, primarily as an interior lineman, the 6-foot-3, 313-pound Jean Francois has 236 tackles, 12 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He also had 1.5 sacks in 11 playoff games.
Reinforcements are needed as defensive tackle Malcom Brown has not practiced since suffering an ankle injury in the 23-7 win over Atlanta on Oct.