The New England Patriots have signed former Toronto Argonauts defensive tackle Armond Armstead, according to ESPN.com.
The Argos released Armstead on January 4, 2013, based on a mutual agreement that he would be granted a release if an NFL opportunity arose.
The 22-year-old visited with the Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts earlier this month before reaching a deal with New England.
After going undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft, Armstead signed with the Argonauts and helped the club win the Grey Cup this past season. He led the team in sacks and was nominated for rookie of the year.
Prior to joining the CFL, he played three seasons for the University of Southern California, starting 17 games and recording 59 tackles.
Armstead suffered a heart attack in early 2011 - the subject of a lawsuit against the school in which Armstead alleges the attack was brought on by painkillers. He was not medically cleared to play that year, and sued the university in August 2012 for unspecified damages.
