Patriots thinning on defensive line, place Wright on IR

Published: Jan 07, 2011 at 08:42 AM

The New England Patriots placed defensive lineman Mike Wright on season-ending injured reserve Friday after he missed the last six games of the regular season with a concussion.

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Wright registered a career-high 5.5 sacks in 10 games this season. The six-year veteran signed with New England as a rookie free agent in 2005.

Wright is the second defensive lineman to go on IR since the Patriots finished the regular season with a 14-2 record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Second-year pro Ron Brace was placed on the list earlier this week with an elbow injury.

The Patriots also suspended rookie defensive end Brandon Deaderick for undisclosed reasons, although a league source told *The Boston Globe* on Friday that the punishment had been lifted.

The Patriots added journeyman defensive lineman Atiyyah Ellison to their roster Tuesday for depth.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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