Patriots Sign Titans Safety After Adding Kevin Byard, Losing Jaylinn Hawkins originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots secondary will look very different next season thanks to two new faces joining the team.

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The Patriots reportedly agreed to a one-year, $9 million deal with All-Pro safety Kevin Byard. That move is important since Jaylinn Hawkins is reportedly signing a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Byard is an upgrade over Hawkins, but he is not the only safety the Patriots added.

The Patriots also reportedly agreed to a deal with Mike Brown. Brown is a depth addition and spent the last three seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

Last season, Brown appeared in just nine games, recording three total tackles. He played just four snaps on defense, but 191 snaps on special teams. He does not figure to play much of a role on the defense, but his impact on special teams could be important.

He has played 760 snaps on special teams in his career. He is capable of filling in on defense when needed. He played 386 snaps on defense in 2024. That season, he had a total of 49 tackles and one pass defended.

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Brown is not an addition that is going to change the outlook of the Patriots’ defense or special teams. However, building depth is an important part of the offseason, and the Patriots do just that by adding Brown.

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