The Patriots have added yet another weapon to their offensive arsenal. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the team has signed free agent wide receiver Donte Stallworth to a one year deal.
I'm definitely a fan of this move. At age 31, Donte Stallworth isn't exactly young and this move won't have anywhere close to the hype it had when the Patriots first signed Stallworth in 2007, but he showed in Washington last season that he still has something left in the tank. In 11 games, Stallworth recorded 22 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns. He was surprisingly useful as a deep threat.
Actually, he had his best game of the 2011 season against the Patriots. In Washington's 34-31 loss, Stallworth recorded 4 catches for 96 yards, including a 51 yard catch. You've got to wonder if that was a factor in the Patriots giving him a look.
So what should Patriots fans expect from Stallworth?
Obviously, at this point in his career, he isn't a #1 or #2 receiver. However, he's still an option as an outside guy that could be a really solid #4 receiver. While he was surpassed by Jabar Gaffney on the depth chart late in the 2007, he was productive for the Patriots in the first half of his only season with the team. On the year, he recorded 46 catches for 697 yards and three touchdowns. He knows the offense, and while he certainly isn't guaranteed a roster spot in September, his arrival probably spells the end of Chad Ochocinco's New England Patriots career.
Take-two: Richard Hill sees Stallworth as a "camp body" who could be a "possible piece of the puzzle."
Overall, another low-risk, high-reward signing for the Patriots. And as Patriots fans know, you can never have too many of those.