FOXBORO - Rookie cornerback Terrence Wheatley went on the injured reserve list Monday, amid ongoing speculation about the fate of fellow injured defender Adalius Thomas.

Wheatley, the second-round pick out of Colorado, suffered a wrist injury against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 2. That game was his first start of the season among appearances in six, but he didn't make it past the second quarter.

Thomas, who reportedly suffered a broken arm the following Sunday, has yet to have the severity of his injury reported by the Patriots except in only the most general of terms. Amid unconfirmed reports that Thomas has already had surgery on the arm, the only possible reason for him not to be on injured reserve would be because the Patriots believe that he may be healed sufficiently over the next six weeks to be able to be on the active roster should they make the playoffs.

As of now, that's becoming an increasingly tall order. The Patriots currently trail all other contenders for the two AFC wild-card berths on the basis of in-division and in-conference records.

To replace Wheatley on the roster, the Patriots signed tight end Tyson DeVree off the practice squad. DeVree, 23, is an undrafted rookie out of Colorado who has been on the practice squad since Sept. 17. After being signed, cut and re-signed three times in the preseason.

Added to the practice squad was linebacker Darrell Robertson, who was originally signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie free agent following the draft. The 6-foot-4, 246-pounder was released by Dallas on the final cut and immediately signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He played two games and recorded six tackles before being released on Sept. 29.

- MARK FARINELLA