Patriots add depth with Ross
Veteran offensive tackle known for his versatility
When describing why the Patriots selected quarterback Kevin O'Connell in the third round of April's draft when they have Tom Brady at the position, owner Robert Kraft said that "having insurance at key parts of any business is good business."
The Patriots added to their policy yesterday, signing veteran offensive lineman Oliver Ross to a one-year contract.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 327-pound Ross, who has played in 89 games with 53 career starts, is most naturally suited to play right tackle, a position the Patriots appear to have well-stocked with returning starter Nick Kaczur, and third-year players Ryan O'Callaghan and Wesley Britt.
But as Kraft previously emphasized, having a fallback plan is seldom a bad thing, and in the 33-year-old Ross, the Patriots locked up what appears to be a pretty good one.
Best known for his stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2000-04, Ross progressed from practice player to starter, helping the club maintain its identity as a smash-mouth running team under former coach Bill Cowher. As offensive tackles go, he is more of a road-grader than a light-on-the-feet pass-blocking type. He also has experience at left tackle.
Ross spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, who had signed him to a lucrative free agent deal, but his tenure in the desert was littered with injuries.
A torn left triceps sustained last August in an exhibition game forced him to miss the season, and Ross also was sidelined for stretches of his other two seasons because of knee and hand ailments, appearing in 23 games with 17 starts.
He couldn't even avoid the injury bug off the field over the last year, falling off the last step of his camper and cracking his collarbone, which required surgery. Ross is now "pretty close to 100 percent," according to his agent, Alan Herman.
The string of injuries contributed to Ross's decision to sign with New England.
"I think he felt a change of scenery would do him well," Herman said. "He had some of his best years in Pittsburgh and now he's coming back to the Northeast. New England is a great place to be for a guy at this stage of his career."
Ross visited with team officials at Gillette Stadium last month, and the sides consummated the one-year contract yesterday, with Herman negotiating with vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli.
The Patriots did not select a lineman in the draft, and with no rookie free agents sticking at the position, Ross adds another layer to the depth chart.
The 6-4, 315-pound Kaczur started a career-high 15 games last season and all three playoff contests. He adds value with the ability to swing to left tackle, where Matt Light is the starter.
O'Callaghan (6-7, 330 pounds) has seven career starts on his résumé at right tackle and projects to once again challenge Kaczur for the starting job.
Meanwhile, Britt (6-8, 320 pounds) has been a reliable backup the last two years, with his high point coming in 2006 when he made his first career start at Cincinnati Oct. 1 and the Patriots rushed for 238 yards.
Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.
