In a move that is more of a formality than anything, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga officially signed his exclusive rights tender with the New England Patriots on Thursday.

As an exclusive rights free agent, Siliga wasn't free to sign with another club. That's a good thing for the Patriots, who likely will rely on the 6-foot-2, 325-pound four-year veteran to help fill the void created by Vince Wilfork's departure to Houston.

In the six regular-season games in which he was healthy last season, Siliga averaged 36.6 defensive snaps, usually paired with Wilfork. When Siliga returned from a foot injury in early December, Patriots coach Bill Belichick touched on his enthusiasm.

“He has good energy, likes to play football, likes to practice,” Belichick said. “I’d say we have a lot of guys on our team that fit into that category. It’s not one-of-three guys or anything. But [Siliga] brings it and we love it and so do a lot of other guys. I’d say the thing that is unique about it is that he hasn’t been doing it for a while.”

Siliga and nine-year veteran Alan Branch are currently the top defensive tackles on the depth chart.