New England Patriots
Leon Washington - RB
| Status | Active |
| Height/Weight | 5' 8"/ 203 lbs. |
| Birthday | 08/29/1982 |
| Birthplace | Jacksonville, FL |
| College | Florida State |
| Years played | 8 |
| Drafted | 2006, 4th round, 20th pick by Jets |
Bledsoe voted into Patriots Hall of Fame
Former NFL QB Drew Bledsoe has been voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, the team announced on Monday.
RB Ridley, the Patriots' forgotten pick, ready to contribute
The Patriots used the 73rd overall pick to take RB Stevan Ridley, their second back selected in the draft. Ridley's name was lost in the shuffle when QB Ryan Mallett was chosen next at No. 74.
Patriots No. 9 pick scouting report: DB Malcolm Williams, TCU
The Patriots spent their final pick of the 2011 draft on another defensive back, Malcolm Williams, who admitted he was surprised to get the call.
Patriots place focus on long term
One year after drafting a class that contributed right away, Bill Belichick went with purely developmental prospects in 2011.
Patriots comfortable with pass rushers on roster
It was pretty much a consensus that a pass-rushing defensive end or outside linebacker would be high on the Patriots' priority list heading into the draft, but clearly, Bill Belichick didn't view it that way.
Patriots No. 8 pick scouting report: OLB Markell Carter, Central Arkansas
It took until their eighth pick, and the 29th pick of the sixth round before the Patriots addressed their need for an edge rusher by drafting Markell Carter out of Central Arkansas.
Patriots No. 7 pick scouting report: TE Lee Smith, Marshall
The Patriots drafted another player who will develop and likely not see the field much in 2011, Marshall TE Lee Smith.
Patriots No. 6 pick scouting report: OT Marcus Cannon, TCU
The Patriots made another value pick by drafting Marcus Cannon in the fifth round, a player who was once projected to go late in the first round.
Ask the experts: Best trade of the draft's first two days
PFW editors offer their take on the team that made the best trade in the first three rounds of the 2011 NFL draft.
Fantasy outlook: QB Ryan Mallett
One of the most surprising picks of the draft was QB Ryan Mallett heading to New England, and he won't have any fantasy value for a couple years.
Fantasy outlook: RB Stevan Ridley
Similarly to Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley could get some touches in Bill Belichick's rotating backfield, but he will be hard-pressed to get fantasy points.
Fantasy outlook: RB Shane Vereen
California's Shane Vereen gets the first shot to be a member of Bill Belichick's split backfield in New England, which automatically diminishes his fantasy value.
A stunning pick, but Mallett makes a ton of sense for Patriots
Ryan Mallett's slide through the draft ended with the Patriots, and Bill Belichick may have completed another Draft Day steal.
Patriots make third trade; get Raiders' '12 second-round pick
The Patriots made their third trade of the 2011 NFL draft, trading their third- and fourth-round picks this year for the Raiders' 2012 second-round pick.
Patriots No. 5 pick scouting report: QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
The Patriots made maybe the draft's biggest surprise by taking Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett with the 74th overall pick.
PLAYER NEWS
The Patriots announced the signing of Washington, who has played seven seasons with the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks.|||||||
Washington, 30, is a former fourth-round draft choice from Florida State who shares the NFL record of eight career kickoff returns for touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2008 and 2012.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says Washington will be ready for the start of training camp despite having a metal rod in his leg.|||||||
Carroll said Tuesday during Seattle's final minicamp before the preseason starts in late July that the team will be very careful in the early days of camp with Washington, a 2008 All-Pro with the New York Jets. But Carroll says Washington is ahead of his recovery schedule from a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg last October.
The New York Jets have traded Washington and a seventh-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for a fifth-round draft pick.|||||||
The popular Washington is recovering from a broken right leg. He was dealt Saturday a few hours after the Seahawks acquired running back LenDale White from Tennessee. Washington was made expendable when the Jets traded up in the fourth round and drafted Southern California running back Joe McKnight. Washington, a former Pro Bowl kick returner, suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula at Oakland on Oct. 25, and missed the rest of the season.
Washington has signed his tender contract offer with the New York Jets, and hopes to be recovered from a broken right leg in time for training camp.|||||||
Washington, a fourth-round pick in 2006, received a second-round tender last month worth $1.759 million. The former Pro Bowl kick returner suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula at Oakland on Oct. 25, and missed the rest of the season. He has been training at the Athletes' Performance-Andrews Institute in Pensacola, Fla., for the past five weeks.
Two people familiar with the deal tell The Associated Press that Washington, a restricted free agent recovering from a broken right leg, will sign his tender contract offer with the New York Jets.|||||||
Washington, a fourth-round pick in 2006, received a second-round tender last month worth $1.759 million. The former Pro Bowl kick returner suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula at Oakland on Oct. 25, and missed the rest of the season.
