Journeyman NFL center Eric Ghiaciuc, the Oxford native, signed a contract with the New England Patriots today, according to several published reports, providing depth along the offensive line as a backup to starter Dan Koppen.

The 29-year-old Ghiaciuc has bounced around after his rookie contract ran out with the Bengals. He'd started 42 of 48 games with the team that drafted him, including all 16 games in 2008. Ghiaciuc was a fourth-round pick in the 2005 draft, out of Central Michigan University.

Ghiaciuc signed with Kansas City as an unrestricted free agent, but didn't make it out of training camp. He hooked on with San Diego near the end of last season, after the Chargers' starting center, Scott Mruczkowski went down with an injury. The Browns had Ghiaciuc on their roster earlier this calendar year.