Patriots sign Titans safety after adding Kevin Baird, losing Jaylin Hawkins originally appeared on NESN. Click here to add NESN as your preferred source.
The New England Patriots’ secondary will look very different next season thanks to the addition of two new faces.
advertise
The Patriots reportedly agreed to terms with All-Pro safety Kevin Byard on a one-year, $9 million contract. This move is important as Jaylin Hawkins will reportedly sign a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Byrd is an upgrade over Hawkins, but he’s not the only safety the Patriots have added.
The Patriots also reportedly agreed to a deal with Mike Brown. Brown is a depth addition who spent the past three seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
Brown played in just nine games last season and had three total tackles. He played just four snaps on defense but played 191 snaps on special teams. He’s not expected to play a big role on defense, but his impact on special teams could be significant.
He has played 760 games on special teams during his career. He has the ability to fill in defensive gaps when needed. In 2024, he played 386 snaps on defense. That season, he totaled 49 tackles and one pass defended.
advertise
The addition of Brown won’t change the outlook for the Patriots’ defense or special teams. However, building depth is an important part of the offseason, and the Patriots did that by adding Brown.
More NFL: Patriots insider makes bold AJ Brown prediction after Romeo Dubs signing
