FOXBORO -- The Patriots defense is hurting up front so the process of throwing healthy bodies at those spots is underway.
On Monday they signed two linebackers and a defensive linemen to give themselves some depth. On Tuesday it was reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer that they traded for Bengals linebacker Marquis Flowers for a seventh-round pick.
The 6-foot-3 245-pounder was a sixth-round pick in 2014 out of Arizona. He played in all 16 games last season, primarily as a special-teamer.
Flowers' ability in the kicking game could prove valuable for the Patriots in that they have had multiple special-teams contributors miss time of late. Shea McClellin, Nate Ebner and Brandon King have all missed practice and/or preseason game time recently. Special-teams captain Matthew Slater returned to practice on Monday for the first time in almost a month.
Asked to confirm the report of the trade, Belichick said during his press conference Tuesday that "if we have an announcement, we'll make it."