The New England Patriots re-signed restricted free agent LB Pierre Woods, the team announced on Tuesday. Woods signed his one-year, second-round tender offer and will earn $1.545 million in base salary this season.
Woods, 27, is entering his fourth season with the Patriots after being signed as an undrafted rookie free agent on May 8, 2006. The 6-foot-5-inch, 250-pound linebacker has played in 36 games with three starts for the Patriots over three NFL seasons (2006-08).
The University of Michigan product has recorded 31 career tackles (22 solo), including one sack, and has totaled 44 career special teams tackles.
Last season, Woods played in 12 games with three starts and tallied a career-best 27 tackles (20 solo), including a sack. He made his first career start at outside linebacker on Nov. 13, 2008 against the New York Jets and had a career-high nine tackles in that game while recording his first career sack. He also started against Miami on Nov. 23 and against Pittsburgh on Nov. 30 before being placed on injured reserve with a jaw injury on Dec. 14. According to a league source, Woods saw playing time on about 25 percent of the defensive snaps last season while seeing time on about 40 percent of all special teams snaps.
Woods led the Patriots with 21 special teams tackles in 2007, and has also made seven special teams tackles in six career playoff games. As a rookie in 2006, Woods made New England’s opening day roster as an undrafted free agent and finished fourth on the team with 11 special teams tackles while seeing action in eight games. In 2007, Woods played in every game and led the team with a career-high 22 special teams tackles.
