Patriots sign former Stanford LB to future contract

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FOXBORO -- The Patriots have had success in landing running backs with future contracts, and they'll hope for the best with the linebacker they signed to a future deal on Thursday. 

The team signed undrafted rookie linebacker James Vaughters to a reserve/future contract, giving him a shot at making the Patriots roster next season. It's impossible to say whether or not he'll be able to make an impact similar to former Patriots future-contract players Jonas Gray and Dion Lewis, but he has shown enough promise to earn himself an opportunity. 

Vaughters played his college football at Stanford and was teammates with Patriots offensive lineman Cameron Fleming, safety Jordan Richards and running back Tyler Gaffney. He was signed by the Packers as a rookie free agent in May and spent time on the Green Bay practice squad this season. 

At Stanford, the 6-foot-2, 254-pounder racked up 124 tackles, including 21.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. At his pro day, he ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash and put up an impressive 35 reps on the 225-pound bench press. 

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