The New England Patriots placed first-round draft pick and defensive end Dominique Easley on injured reserve Wednesday.
The Patriots also signed tight end Steve Maneri to the 53-man roster.
Easley, 22, was drafted by New England in the first round of the 2014 draft out of Florida with the 29th overall pick. The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder played in 11 games with two starts and registered nine total tackles, one sack and one interception.
Knee injuries caused Easley to drop in the draft. He tore both ACLs during his college career.
Maneri, 26, spent the 2010 season on the New England practice squad and went to training camp with the Patriots in 2011, and he was in camp with the team this past summer. He was signed by the Patriots on Aug. 10 and released on Aug. 30.
The 6-7, 280-pounder also has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs (2011-12) and the Chicago Bears (2013). He spent part of the 2014 offseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Maneri was originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Houston Texans out of Temple in 2010 but was released and claimed off waivers by the Patriots before the start of the regular season. He has played in 23 NFL games with 10 starts and has registered six receptions for 52 yards.
A tight end in college, Houston signed Maneri and converted him to an offensive lineman. He began his career with the Patriots as an offensive lineman as well. Last season, Maneri played in four games with one start for Chicago before being released by the Bears on Oct. 21, 2013.
In addition, the Patriots signed rookie quarterback Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad.
Gilbert, 23, was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the sixth round of the 2014 draft out of Southern Methodist. The 6-4, 221-pounder was released by St. Louis on Aug. 30 and signed to the practice squad on Sept. 1. He was released on Oct. 28.