Image courtesy of BC Athletics

Another former BC Eagle will be donning a Patriots helmet when the defending AFC Champs take the field on Saturday.

Tight end Jeremiah Franklin officially signed a deal with the team on Friday after having a tryout on Thursday afternoon. Franklin was also in Foxborough during rookie minicamp a few days after the NFL Draft and had several conversations with the staff during the BC Pro Day.

The Pats’ tight end room is virtually non-existent behind Hunter Henry, so while Franklin will have quite an uphill climb to make any splash and possibly make the roster, the lack of bodies in front of him could bode well the first few days when it comes to opportunities.

Rookie Eli Raridon out of Notre Dame should be the second guy behind Henry, but you never know.

In his senior year with the Eagles, Franklin had 49 receptions for 506 yards and two touchdowns, but more importantly, he’s been dependable, playing in 13, 13 and 12 games the last three seasons. If the Patriots are simply looking for warm dependable bodies at the position, they can certainly do worse than Franklin.

Training camp officially kicks off Saturday morning down at Gillette with gates opening for fans at 9:15 a.m.