Patriots sign second former Titans safety in free agency

It turns out Kevin Byard won't be the only former Tennessee Titans safety signed by the New England Patriots on Wednesday. A few hours after Byard's signing was reported, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared the team has signed Mike Brown.

It's a one-year deal for Brown, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. The financial side of the contract was not immediatley reported.

Brown, who turns 26 next month, overlapped with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel for one season in Tennessee in 2023. Vrabel signed the UDFA out of Miami (OH) after he spent his rookie year between the Vikings, Packers, and Browns.

The Titans kept Brown after Vrabel's departure, and he played the last three years in Nashville. For his career he's appeared in 38 games with five starts - four of which came in 2023.

While Brown's only significant defensive role came during that 2023 season, he's been a regular special teams player all four of his seasons in the NFL. Last year he played 76% of the special teams snaps for the nine games he was active, after playing 80% the year before.

In addition to Brown the Patriots also signed linebacker K.J. Britt, another player with significant special teams experience, on Wednesday. These signings come after the Patriots struggled on kickoff coverage late in the year, finishing the season allowing 25.3 yards per kickoff return.

With his defensive experience, Brown adds extra depth at safety behind Byard, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus, John Saunders Jr., and Brenden Schooler who are already on the roster. The team did lose pending free agent Jaylinn Hawkins earlier in the day on Wednesday, as he signed with the Baltimore Ravens.