FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – New England Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, who missed most of last year with a broken left hip, has been placed on the team’s physically unable to perform list.

The procedural move does not mean Colvin won’t be ready for the regular-season opener. But it preserves the team’s options in case he isn’t.

Colvin, who injured his hip in the second game of last season, will not practice in pads or take part in contact drills when the defending Super Bowl champions begin training camp Thursday at Gillette Stadium.

The linebacker was placed on the active PUP list, rather than the reserve PUP list. Had be been placed on the reserve list, he would have been ineligible to practice or play for the first six games of the regular season.

Players may be taken off the active PUP list at any point of training camp.

Also placed on active PUP were long snapper Lonnie Paxton and offensive lineman Matt Light.

New England signed Colvin as a free agent in 2003, after he led the Chicago Bears with 10 1/2 sacks in the previous last two seasons. He had one sack in each of his first two games when he injured his hip Sept. 14 in a 31-10 win at Philadelphia. He went on injured reserve the next day and underwent surgery.

Patriots sign free agent tight end

FOXBORO, Mass. – The New England Patriots signed unrestricted free agent tight end Zeron Flemister Tuesday.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 250-pound Flemister was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Iowa where he played for the past four years.

Flemister, 27, played in 48 career games with 17 starts.

The team did not disclose terms of the agreement.