FOXBORO -- The Patriots placed left tackle Nate Solder on season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday after he tore his right biceps during Sunday's 30-6 win over the Cowboys.
To see how the Patriots may cope without Solder, check out Tom E. Curran's analysis here. And to read what Patriots coaches think of the job Marcus Cannon has done recently, you can head here.
Filling Solder's spot on the 53-man active roster, the Patriots added some depth to their secondary by claiming corner Rashaan Melvin off of waivers from the Ravens.
Melvin is a rangy 6-foot-2, 193-pound third-year player who signed with Baltimore in 2013 as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Illinois. He has played in one game this season, seeing 17 snaps against the Bengals in Week 3, allowing two receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus.
Melvin played in five games toward the end of last season, starting four for coach John Harbaugh's club, which had suffered various injuries to its regulars in the defensive backfield. In 306 snaps Melvin made 32 tackles and defended one pass.
Melvin started for the Ravens in their Wild Card win over the Steelers last season as well as their Divisional Round loss to the Patriots. Against New England, Melvin was targeted 18 times, allowing 14 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.
For Patriots fans, the most memorable play in which Melvin was involved was likely the double-pass touchdown thrown from Tom Brady to Julian Edelman to Danny Amendola, which helped the eventual Super Bowl champions tie the game in the third quarter, 28-28.