Patriots Sign WR Eric Decker

After releasing wide receiver Jordan Matthews on Wednesday, due to a nagging hamstring injury that had the outside threat poised to miss a solid chunk of time, the New England Patriots wasted little time in replacing him on the roster.

In place of Matthews, the Pats signed veteran receiver Eric Decker, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and others.

Decker had worked out for the team earlier in the week and, according to Rapoport,  the two sides had been working on the specifics of the one-year deal for a few days.

The former Denver Bronco and New York Jet spent last season with the Tennessee Titans, catching 54 balls for 563 yards and a score in 16 games. It was a solid, bounce-back campaign for the grizzled vet, who had played in just three games in an injury-plagued final season with the Jets back in 2016.

Decker provides the Pats with not only extra depth at the wide receiver position, but also a skill set that is similar to Julian Edelman, who will miss the first four games of the season as he serves a PED suspension.

The 31-year-old's ability to play in the slot, as well as down the field, and his track record of being a key contributor on championship contending teams is more than enough reason for the Pats to take a chance on him.