Patriots, WR Dorsett sign a one-year contract

The New England Patriots and free agent receiver Phillip Dorsett signed a one-year contract, a source told ESPN.

The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Dorsett was a valuable reinforcement for the Patriots since it was acquired during a 2017 transaction by the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

He has participated in 31 regular season games (four starts) since the trade, totaling 44 catches for 484 yards and three touchdowns. He played in five playoff games, seven catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

The Patriots relied more on Dorsett early in the 2018 season, while Julian Edelman was serving a four-game suspension in the NFL. When Edelman returned and receiver Josh Gordon was acquired in a mid-September transaction and was integrated into the team's system, Dorsett's playing time was reduced.

Yet he showed a talent for catching almost everything thrown in his direction and getting up in critical situations.

Dorsett joins four other Patriots receivers under contract for 2019: Edelman, Braxton Berrios, Damoun Patterson and Matthew Slater.

Dorsett told ESPN earlier this year that his goal was to be a starter, but he left open a return to New England.

"We have good relations with him," he said about coach Bill Belichick. "I think he wants me to come back, I think, at the end of the day you never really know. [to free agency] with blinkers. I do not really know what will happen.

"Obviously, I want to win, I do not want to play this game just to play it, I play because I like it and its relationships, the whole organization was amazing, obviously everyone has their own personal goals, and I want to be a bigger role.It's just the kind of guy I am in. And help the team to win. "

Dorsett, who turned 26 in January, entered the NFL as the Colts' first-round pick (number 29 overall) in 2015. He had 95 receptions for 1,237 yards and six touchdowns in 57 games.

The NFL network first announced the agreement.