The Ravens traded LB Prescott Burgess to the Patriots for a conditional seventh-round pick on Tuesday. To fill Burgess' roster spot, the club signed TE Tony Curtis.

Burgess, 25, who was a strong-side linebacker in Baltimore's scheme and backed up starter Jarret Johnson, notched two tackles in the Ravens' first two games. The third-year pro from Michigan joins a Patriots defense that has needed more LB depth after star MLB Jerod Mayo suffered a knee injury in the season opener. New England has  used more 4-3 fronts of late.

Curtis started six games for Dallas in 2008. A fourth-year player, Curtis was cut by the Eagles on Sept. 8 after Philadelphia signed ex-Buccaneers and Patriots TE Alex Smith. He could contribute in two-TE sets for Baltimore.