By John Sarianides

The Patriots signed free agent defensive end Lawrence Guy to a four year, $20 million dollar contract on Saturday.  

The 26 year old Guy was drafted in the 7th round of the 2011 draft by the Green Bay Packers. Guy has played for the Colts, Chargers and Ravens in his career. He has been a career rotation player but he did make ten starts for the Ravens last season.

At 6-4 305, Guy is versatile. He can play in either a 40 or 30 front. He was a five technique defensive end in Baltimore but he will move inside and play the three technique defensive tackle in the Patriots 4-3 defense. 

Guy is strong at the point of attack against the run. He has strong hands and long arms and does a good job of extending, stacking and separating from offensive tackles. Guy moves well laterally for his size and can be effective on twists.

The Patriots overpaid for Guy but he fits their defensive scheme well and his ability to line up anywhere along the defensive line makes him a valuable commodity. He is worth the $5 million a year he is being paid. 

Guy was a key cog for the Ravens the last two seasons and he played well for former Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees. That wasn’t lost on Bill Belichick. That’s why he signed him.