Patriots sign free agent special teamer Terrence Brooks to a two-year contract

After three-and-a-half days of relative inactivity, the New England Patriots are starting to make moves. After signing wide receiver Bruce Ellington to a one-year deal earlier today, the defending world champions have added another player to their roster: according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New England had added special teams safety Terrence Brooks through a two-year contract.

Brooks entered the NFL as a third-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. After two years and 23 games with the team, the Florida State product was released and subsequently claimed by the Philadelphia Eagles. After one year, the Eagles traded Brooks to the New York Jets: over the next two years he saw most of his action on kicking game and as a rotational defensive back — one that earned AFC defensive player of the week honors in 2017.

Last year, Brooks was on the field for 6.2% of New York’s defensive snaps as well as a team-high 79.0% in the kicking game — registering six special teams tackles and a fumble recovery on top of his four defensive tackles on defense. All in all, Brooks is a signing similar to that of Brandon Bolden earlier this week: one bolstering a kicking game unit that was inconsistent during the early parts of 2018, and that could lose core players Albert McClellan and Ramon Humber through free agency.