No New England Patriot collected more tackles than cornerback Keion Crossen’s dozen in Thursday night’s preseason finale.
But it marked the 2018 seventh-round pick’s finale at Gillette Stadium.
As NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported at the league’s 53-man roster deadline Saturday evening, the Patriots have traded Crossen to the Houston Texans.
Crossen recorded an interception and five total passes defensed in his last game with New England. The Western Carolina product, whose speed gave way to 113 snaps on special teams as a rookie last season, had been slotted as the sixth cornerback on the depth chart behind Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, J.C. Jackson and Joejuan Williams after former second-rounder Duke Dawson was dealt to the Denver Broncos on Friday.
Instead, the 23-year-old Crossen is a Texan.
Crossen played in 11 contests last campaign with New England. He stands as the first Catamounts draft choice since 1994. And he now joins a fellow defensive back from the Patriots’ 2018 preseason past in A.J. Moore.
According to Jeff Howe of the Athletic and Mike Reiss of ESPN, the Patriots will receive a future sixth-rounder from Houston in the exchange.