SATURDAY, 8:45am: It’s a one-year deal for Brown worth $965K, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The deal includes an $885K salary, a $50K signing bonus, and a $30K workout bonus. His cap number is worth $680K.
The Patriots also gave the running back $300K in guaranteed money, which Volin suggests could be an indication that Brown’s going to stick around for the regular season.
FRIDAY, 1:24pm: The Patriots have formally announced their deal with Brown.
WEDNESDAY, 2:21pm: The Patriots have added a running back to their offense, according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports, who tweets that the team has agreed to terms with veteran free agent Donald Brown.
With veterans LeGarrette Blount and Steven Jackson eligible for free agency, Brown will join a backfield that currently features James White, Dion Lewis, and Brandon Bolden, among others. While the move shouldn’t preclude a reunion with Blount, or another veteran addition, Brown will provide some insurance on the depth chart.
Brown, who turns 29 next month, had been set to enter the final season of the three-year contract he signed with the Chargers back in 2014. However, he was released by San Diego earlier in March.
Although he made a handful of starts during his two years with the Chargers, particularly when the club’s backfield was hit hard by injuries, Brown never made a significant impact. In total, he accumulated 452 rushing yards on 144 attempts (3.1 ypc), and added 299 receiving yards on 37 catches.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Watch him get 1000 total yards next year – running&receiving – and get left off the playoff roster some how lol.
This guy is garbage, missed his block on special teams and got our punter put on IR with a broken collar bone in ’14. I’m going to emphasize special teams here because that was his primary role…we paid a guy 3 mil a season to be a 3rd string RB (4th string last season, he didn’t suite up until half way through the year) and suck on special teams. The ironic part here is that NE is where SD players go to win Super Bowls so wouldn’t surprise me if he isn’t terrible next season…but I wouldn’t hold my breath
That’s because you don’t put a 29 year old running back on special teams. Donald Brown is a solid running back and will do well with the Patriots when called upon. BB knows how to use Brown, he played against him a lot while he was with Indianapolis, so he knows his strengths and skill set.