Barner officially re-signed with the Patriots on Wednesday.
Reports surfaced a day earlier suggesting that Barner's return to New England was imminent, but he wasn't added to the 53-man roster until the Patriots cleared a spot for him by surprisingly placing Rex Burkhead (neck) on injured reserve. Barner bolsters the team's backfield depth with Burkhead out of the mix, but at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, the 29-year-old is unlikely to gain much traction in the rushing attack. As it stands now, he slots in behind top back Sony Michel and pass-catching ace James White, with most of Barner's initial snaps instead expected to come on special teams.