Source: Chad Brown coming back to Pats
By DAN PIRES
Standard-Times Patriots writer
May 19, 2007 6:00 AM
Old School is back in style.
The Patriots and 15-year veteran linebacker Chad Brown, who spent the 2005 season in New England, have agreed to terms, according to a league source.
The signing comes in the wake of a report by the San Diego Tribune that the Pats have also come to terms with another vintage linebacker, Junior Seau.
After they were shredded by the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game, linebacker was considered a position of need for the Pats to address in the draft. But instead of getting younger, they have gotten older. They only used one of their picks, a sixth-rounder on Southern Methodist's Justin Rogers, to fill the gaps at linebacker.
For Brown, who will turn 37 in July, 2007 will be his 16th NFL campaign. Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Larry Izzo are also long in the tooth and Rosevelt Colvin will be 30 when the season starts.
Brown was signed by the Patriots in 2005 as a free agent and was credited with 54 tackles in 15 games (five starts). Brown was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1993 and played there until 1996.
He spent the next eight seasons playing for the Seattle Seahawks before joining the Patriots for a season. Last year, he made a cameo appearance for the Black and Gold of the Iron City. He played in just eight games and had seven tackles, including a sack.
Brown is a three-time Pro Bowler (1996, '98 and '99) and will provide added cover at either the outside or inside-linebacker spots.
For much of his career, he was one of the leading sackers from the linebacker position. He has 79 in his career, but just two in the last three seasons combined.
Brown's most recent endeavor was working full-time at his reptile business based in Littleton, Colo. He's the owner of Pro Exotics.
