New England Patriots sign WR Kenny Britt for the stretch run
The New England Patriots and Tom Brady struggled to get wide receivers involved in Monday night’s loss. On Tuesday, they added former Browns WR Kenny Britt to the mix.
There will be another former Rutgers player on the New England Patriots practice fields soon as the team has signed wide receiver Kenny Britt.
Britt was released by the Cleveland Browns this week, but he has quickly been claimed by a Patriots squad that needs some wide receiver help.
The Patriots are without Julian Edelman for the season, and his loss was highlighted on Monday night when the Dolphins defeated New England. Tom Brady failed to connect with a wide receiver until 1/3 of the way through the third quarter. Chris Hogan and Danny Amendola have dealt with their own injuries this season, and both Brandin Cooks and Phillip Dorsett are deep threats. The latter two fail to make “possession” type catches, and that’s what New England is looking for right now.
Field Yates firs reported Britt’s signing with the Patriots.
Source: the Patriots are close to a deal with former Browns WR Kenny Britt. He visited them today.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 12, 2017
His reports were quickly backed up by reliable NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.
Patriots are finalizing a deal with former Browns WR Kenny Britt, per @FieldYates. Deal expected to be done shortly.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 12, 2017
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
Rapoport also adds the deal will be for two seasons, keeping Kenny Britt in New England through 2018. So, he will be around to help for the playoffs, get a full offseason in New England, and then play the entire season with Tom Brady in 2018.
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Britt is 6’3″ and is a true outside receiver. His signing could help move Brandin Cooks inside, or is to solidify Hogan and Amendola’s roles as slot receivers. Now in his ninth NFL season, Britt has spent time with the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, and the Cleveland Browns. In 9 games for the Browns in 2017, Britt had just 18 receptions and 233 yards on a struggling offense. His best season came in 2016 for Los Angeles, where he hauled in 68 receptions for 1,002 yards and 5 touchdowns in Jared Goff’s rookie season.
After Britt’s release from Cleveland, it was well-known that his preference was to join a contender like the New England Patriots. He has never been a part of a playoff game, but that will all change this season. The move is similar to the one the Patriots made for Michael Floyd last season, but the fact that they chose to sign Britt to a two-year deal shows that he still has a lot left in the tank.
Next: The Patriots were terrible on Monday night
It’s unclear if Britt will be ready to go for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he will surely be ready for week 16 and week 17 against the Bills and the Jets. His presence should help solidify New England’s offense as they hope to bounce back from a poor performance in Miami.