First word of a deal came eight days ago. Finally, the Patriots have acknowledged that veteran defensive tackle Damione Lewis has joined the team.
Lewis was the 12th overall pick in the 2001 draft, one of three first-rounders that the Greatest Show of Turf devoted to a defense that had become the Greatest Sieve on Turf. (The others? Ryan Pickett and Adam Archuleta.)
Lewis has spent the past four years with the Panthers, after five with the Rams. He started every game last year in Carolina.
He had a indirect role in the Eagles’ decision to dump Donovan McNabb; in Week One, Lewis dove onto McNabb after he had clearly crossed the goal line, breaking a rib and opening the door for Kevin Kolb to show that he could get the job done by becoming the first quarterback in league history to throw for 300-plus yards in back-to-back starts. Lewis was neither penalized nor fined.