Patriots reportedly reach deal with safety Adrian Colbert

The New England Patriots near organized team activities with an active roster of 89.

The latest spot would be filled on Thursday by veteran safety Adrian Colbert, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Colbert entered the NFL in the seventh round of the 2017 draft after transferring from the Texas Longhorns to the Miami Hurricanes ahead of his senior season. The 27-year-old has been a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants over the campaigns since then.

Through 33 games and 19 starts in his career, Colbert stands with 93 tackles, eight passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

In 2020, Colbert made six appearances for New York after being claimed off waivers in September and activated from injured reserve in December. Along the way as a Giant, he saw 104 snaps on defense and 43 snaps on special teams.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Colbert has experience under former Patriots assistant coaches ranging from Brian Flores and Josh Boyer to Joe Judge and Patrick Graham. He now joins a depth chart that includes Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger, Jalen Mills, Cody Davis as well as a group of cornerbacks who also offer versatility at the safety position.

One opening currently remains for New England when accounting for safety Patrick Chung’s unprocessed retirement and fullback Jakob Johnson’s exemption as part of the NFL International Player Pathway Program.

New England has added quarterback Brian Hoyer, interior offensive linemen James Ferentz and Alex Redmond, along with long snapper Wes Farnsworth to the roster since the week began.