Giovanni Ricci spent the 2024 preseason with the Browns.
After signing seven to futures contracts in January, the New England Patriots have added an eighth to the list in February.
Veteran tight end Giovanni Ricci agreed to terms on Monday, the organization announced.
Ricci, 28, overlapped with head coach Mike Vrabel during the latter’s stint as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound flex fullback was released with a settlement after suffering a knee injury last preseason, however, and remained unsigned through the end of the regular season.
Originally entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2020, Ricci appeared in 36 games as a member of the Carolina Panthers. The former first-team All-MAC selection made four starts over that span.
Spending his rookie year on the practice squad, Ricci finished his time in the NFC South with nine receptions for 102 yards across a dozen targets from quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, P.J. Walker, Sam Darnold, Bryce Young and Cam Newton. He saw a total of 337 snaps on offense to go with 647 snaps on special teams.
The Patriots previously retained wide receiver John Jiles, offensive tackle Caleb Jones, defensive tackle Marcus Harris, linebacker Andrew Parker Jr., cornerback D.J. James, safety Mark Perry and kicker John Parker Romo for 2025. Each finished the 4-13 campaign on the practice squad.