According to reports, the New England Patriots signed Kenny Britt to a two-year contract on Tuesday. Britt was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Friday almost immediately after John Dorsey took over as general manager.
The #Patriots are signing WR Kenny Britt to a 2-year deal that locks him in through 2018, source said. This was his top landing spot.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 12, 2017
New England Patriots Sign Kenny Britt
Britt played nine games for the Browns during the 2017 season, his ninth year in the league. He spent his first five seasons with the Tennessee Titans before winding up with the then St. Louis Rams for three years. Britt has only played three 16-game seasons in nine years and has only topped 45 receptions in a season once.
The move is an unexpected one at this point for the Patriots. New England has lost several big names over the course of the season. Julian Edelman’s injury in the preseason took him out of the offensive huddle early on. The Patriots dealt Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts early in the season for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.
Britt will join a depth chart that includes the aforementioned Dorsett, Danny Amendola, a recently healthy Chris Hogan, and Brandin Cooks. The Patriots have made excellent use of a number of non-receiver pass-catchers this season, including Rob Gronkowski, Dion Lewis, and Rex Burkhead. Britt will bring height and speed to the star-studded group.
The Patriots dropped a game against the Miami Dolphins due to poor offense, but the loss can be attributed to the absence of Gronkowski rather than any real lack of receivers. Given the decimated defense that showed in Miami, reminiscent of weeks one through four, fans might have expected a play on a defensive star at this point.
Britt, drafted by the Titans out of Rutgers, has had his fair share of off-field struggles. The receiver has been arrested twice since 2011 in New Jersey on several counts, including a felony charge. The Patriots are no strangers to players with off-field issues. Most recently, New England signed receiver Michael Floyd following his release from the Arizona Cardinals after a drunken driving arrest.
In his career, Britt has 327 receptions for 5,114 yards and 32 touchdowns in 113 games played. New England reportedly wanted to sign the receiver earlier in the year, but his price tag kept the team from making the deal.
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