Patriots Sign DL Moore, Make Moves

The New England Patriots announced a series of roster moves Saturday, including signing former Patriots defensive lineman Eric Moore.

The New England Patriots signed defensive lineman Eric Moore, placing defensive end Jermaine Cunningham on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

They promoted defensive back Malcolm Williams from the practice squad to the active roster and cut defensive back Sterling Moore.

Moore, 30, played in four games with three starts last season for the Patriots and finished with 13 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

He went to training camp with the Patriots this past summer but was released on Sept. 3. Moore, 6-4, 268 pounds, was originally drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round (186th overall) out of Florida State in 2005. He also played with New Orleans (2006) and St. Louis (2006-08).

He spent part of the 2009 season on the Carolina practice squad and also played with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League in 2010. In five NFL seasons, Moore has played in 33 NFL games with four starts and has registered 33 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and seven special teams tackles.

Williams, 24, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round (219th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Texas Christian. Williams, 5-11, 200 pounds, was released by the Patriots on Aug. 29 and then spent two stints on the New England practice squad.

Cunningham, 23, is in his second season with New England after joining the team as a second round (53rd overall) draft pick out of Florida in 2010. As a rookie, he played in 15 games with 11 starts and finished with 41 total tackles, one sack, one pass defensed and two forced fumbles. Cunningham, 6-3, 260 pounds, played in nine games in 2011 with one tackle.

Moore, 21, has played in five games with three starts for the Patriots this season and registered six total tackles. He spent time on the New England practice squad prior to joining the 53-man roster. Moore, 5-10, 205 pounds, originally signed with Oakland as a rookie free agent on July 28 out of Southern Methodist. After being released by Oakland following training camp, he spent the first few weeks of the season on the Oakland practice squad.

Patriots 2011 Roster