The Patriots have signed running back Travaris Cadet to a contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Cadet, a former Saint, had been eligible for restricted free agency, but New Orleans elected not to make him a tender offer, so the team didn’t have the opportunity to match New England’s offer.
Cadet, 26, saw his first significant action for the Saints in 2014, hauling in 38 passes on 51 targets, totaling 296 yards and a touchdown on those receptions. Although he was listed as a running back and generally lined up in the backfield, the Appalachian State product only had 10 carries for 32 yards.
In New England, Cadet looks like a viable candidate to assume the role played by Shane Vereen, who caught a ton of passes out of the backfield for the Pats. Vereen signed with the Giants as a free agent, and while Cadet likely won’t immediately be penciled in for Vereen’s snaps, New England often finds a use for that sort of versatile running back.
Financial terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, but it will likely be a modest deal. The Saints could’ve kept Cadet restricted by tendering him a one-year offer worth $1.542MM.