The New England Patriots are signing an undrafted free agent safety, Peter Manuma, after a tryout during the rookie minicamp, according to The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed.
Manuma was one of 17 players the Patriots invited to minicamp on a tryout basis. He clearly did enough to earn himself a contract. The Patriots did not draft a safety during the NFL Draft, leaving many to question what the plan was behind Craig Woodson and Kevin Byard. However, Manuma has a chance to be a part of the depth in the safety room.
Manuma attended Hawaii and was a four-year starter. He was the team's defensive MVP last season. He recorded 80 tackles and seven passes defended. He also had a sack and 2.5 tackles for a loss. According to MassLive's Mark Daniels, he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 35.5-inch vertical.
Behind Byard and Woodson, the Patriots do not really have a proven player who can step in. That means they need to identify some players who can be relied on if they have to step in and play. Manuma has a chance to carve out a significant role if he can continue to play well leading up to the 53-man roster cutdown.
The Patriots had Brown, Dell Pettus, John Saunders Jr. and Brenden Schooler on the depth chart. Manuma still has some work to do to make the 53-man roster, but has cleared one hurdle after going undrafted. Safety remained a need for the Patriots after the draft, and signing Manuma is a way to address it.
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