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So what are the Patriots getting in return for their unexpectedly significant investment in Shaun Ellis? For now, not so much.

PFT has confirmed that Ellis has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list. The official designation was first reported by Scout.com, and Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald first noticed on Monday that something was amiss when Ellis wasn’t practicing with the team.

Though the move implies that the Patriots didn’t give Ellis a physical before signing him (or that he failed it), it’s more likely that he simply failed the Bill Belichick conditioning test.

Ellis, who had been an unrestricted free agent, chose the Patriots over the Jets, the team that had made him the first of four first-round pick in the 2000 draft. Ellis was taken 12th overall; the other three were defensive end John Abraham (No. 13), quarterback Chad Pennington (No. 18), and tight end Anthony Becht (No. 27).