With wideout woes, Pats turn to Decker

The Patriots signed free agent receiver Eric Decker in hopes of adding depth to their receiving corps. The eight-year NFL veteran signed with New England on Friday after working out for the team this week.

The Patriots are looking to give quarterback Tom Brady more options following Julian Edelman’s fourgame suspension for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancers, the free agency departure of Danny Amendola and trade of Brandin Cooks.

Decker, 31, a third-round pick in the 2010 draft, spent four seasons with the Broncos, three with the Jets and last season with the Titans. He caught 54 passes for 563 yards and touchdown for Tennessee in 2017. He’s appeared in 111 games in his career with 83 starts, amassing 5,816 receiving yards and 53 touchdowns.

Hall of Fame: Joining the most exclusive club in football truly hit home Friday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2018. Well, maybe not for the one guy missing, but certainly for Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, Brian Urlacher, Brian Dawkins, Robert Brazile, Jerry Kramer and Bobby Beathard.

While Terrell Owens was in Chattanooga planning his own ceremony, the other seven men who will be inducted into the football shrine tonight attended the Gold Jacket Luncheon in Canton. Their takeaway was tinged with awe.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life,” said Lewis, like Moss and Urlacher a Hall of Famer in his first year of eligibility. “There was so much love and respect in that room. I’ve never experienced this level of greatness, this level of respect.”

Browns: Baker Mayfield had some typical rookie ups and downs. Tyrod Taylor was his steady self. Mayfield threw his first interception in training camp while Taylor had a pair of touchdown passes to Jarvis Landry, who made a spectacular, onehanded grab on the second one, as the Browns held their annual intrasquad scrimmage in front of fans desperate to see if a team that went 0-16 in 2017 has improved.

49ers: There’s growing concern about Joshua Garnett’s knee injury, coach Kyle Shanahan said after the guard missed the last five practices of training camp. Garnett began camp in a heated competition to start at right guard after missing all of 2017 following surgery on the same right knee last August. The team said Garnett banged knees with a teammate July 28 and he was expected to return this week but could not.