The Patriots are signing former Browns defensive lineman John Hughes following his release earlier this week, first reported by ESPN's Field Yates on Twitter Monday.
Hughes, 28, signed a four-year extension worth $14.4 million in March 2015, before making three starts among his 16 appearances. In 2014, Hughes was limited to just five games (three starts) due to a hamstring and a torn medial collateral ligament. Hughes was Cleveland's third-rounder in 2012.
Hughes will reportedly replace recently-released defensive lineman Anthony Johnson, per the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe. In two games, Johnson, 23, recorded four tackles, but was a healthy scratch Week Two.