We all know that last week the New England Patriots signed All-Pro corner back Darrelle Revis to a contract for 2014 with an option for 2015. We also found out that there’s a clause in the contract that prevents the team from tagging him next season that was added later on.
Also on the free agency front the team got Revis a running mate for the opposite corner in former Seattle Seahawk CB Brandon Browner. Browner is big, 6’4” about 220 pounds and is extremely physical. People who have watched him, scouted him or studied game film all say if he locks you up at the line, you’re done.
He spent three seasons with Seattle and made the Pro Bowl in 2011 when he had 6 INT’s returning 2 for TD’s. In the three seasons he has 10 career INT’s in 36 games. Prior to the Seahawks he spent four seasons in the CFL and was with the Denver Broncos in 2005 and 2006 after being undrafted out of Oregon State. In the CFL he was a three-time All-Star.
Browner, 29, does come with some baggage though that will see him spend the first four games of 2014 on the suspended list due to violating the NFL drug policy. This stems from missing drugs NFL drug tests during the time he was undrafted, playing in the CFL and prior to his Seattle contract. He also missed four games in 2012 for violating the NFL performance enhancing drugs policy.
His complicated but team friendly contract with New England is for 3 years and is reported to be in the area of $17 million dollars.
The team also brought back one of there own when they re-signed WR Julian Edelman who had drawn interest from the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.
A 7th round pick out of Kent State as a quarterback, Edelman was changed over to a special teams player as a kick/punt returner and covering kickoffs and punts. He played some slot receiver and when WR Wes Welker left for Denver he became Tom Brady’s top target in 2013.
Edelman played in all 16 games and had 105 catches for 1056 yards and 6 TD’s, all were career highs. In five seasons in New England he has played in 64 games and has 10 TD’s. He is also one of the most prolific punt returners in NFL history with an average of 12.3 return yards per punt, first among all active players and 7th best all-time.
To further help Brady the team also signed free agent WR Brandon LaFell away from Carolina with a 3 year, $9 million contract. A third round pick out of LSU the four-year vet was teamed with Steve Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. in Carolina. He now looks like he will be the Patriots deep threat on the outside.
Last year he had career highs with 49 catches and 5 TD’s for 627 yards while being the second or third receiving option for Cam Newton.
At 6’2”, 210 pounds he has some good size and is similar to Randy Moss is that category. If he can be half as successful as Moss was with Brady this contract is a huge win the Patriots.
In his career, all spent with Carolina, he has 167 catches for 2385 yards and 13 TD’s. He excelled in the last two seasons catching 93 passes for nearly 1200 yards and 9 TD’s in 2012 and 2013 combined.
This past November against New England he caught a 9-yard TD pass, while totaling 7 catches for 59 yards in the closely contested Monday Night matchup in Carolina.
