Report: Patriots acquire TE Asante Cleveland from 49ers

FOXBORO -- The Patriots added to their depth at tight end with a trade on Tuesday.

As first reported by Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, the 49ers dealt reserve Asante Cleveland to New England. According to multiple reports, the Patriots are sending offensive lineman Jordan Devey to San Francisco in return.

Cleveland is an undrafted player in his second year out of the University of Miami. He was in the middle of a logjam at tight end for the Niners, serving as one of eight who opened up training camp at that position on the team's roster.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound tight end did not catch a pass in 2014, but spent six games on the 53-man roster and the remainder of the season on the practice squad. In the Niners preseason opener against the Texans, Cleveland played 11 snaps and caught 3 passes for 10 yards.

Cleveland joins a tight end group in New England that includes Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Michael Hoomanawanui, Jake Bequette, Jimmay Mundine, Logan Stokes and fullback James Develin, who meets and participates in drills with the team's tight ends. Chandler has been hampered by an injury recently and was seen doing some conditioning while the rest of the Patriots practiced on Tuesday. Jake Bequette has not been seen on the field of late as he deals with an unknown ailment.

Devey played in 16 snaps at right tackle in Thursday's preseason opener between the Patriots and Packers. In 2014, he started at right guard for the first three games of the regular season and started at left guard against the Jets in Week 7. In Weeks 5 and 6 he played as a reserve guard in wins over the Bengals and Bills.

The Patriots have a connection to the Niners front office, Maiocco astutely pointed out. San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke was a scout for the Jets from 1998 to 2000, overlapping for two seasons with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who at that time was an assistant to Jets head coach Bill Parcells.