Spach signed

The Patriots have officially signed free-agent tight end Stephen Spach today.

A second-year player out of Fresno State, Spach has played in 13 career games, all with the Eagles in 2005. He was with the Vikings in training camp this year but was cut before the season began.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Spach was a teammate of current Patriots players Logan Mankins and James Sanders in college. He was prepared to sign a "futures" contract in the coming weeks in hopes of hooking on with an NFL team in 2008, and was planning to spend the rest of the year as a substitute teacher.

But as is often the case in the NFL, opportunity sometimes arises when least expected. The Patriots were one of the few teams in the NFL with just two tight ends on the active roster -- Benjamin Watson and Kyle Brady -- and Watson injured his left ankle in Sunday's win over the Steelers. Watson was limited in Thursday's practice.

The 25-year-old Spach (pronounced "Spock") entered the league as a rookie free agent with the Eagles in 2005. He caught seven passes for 42 yards and also served as a fullback at times. Spach was released by the Eagles at the end of 2006 training camp and spent the year out of football. He tried to hook on with the Vikings this year, was cut before the season began, and worked out for several teams before the Patriots brought him in Wednesday.