Bill Belichick made a pair of significant roster moves on Tuesday for the New England Patriots. They began the day by trading a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.
New England is also signing three-time Pro Bowl special teamer Justin Bethel, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Bethel, 29, was released by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday and the Patriots quickly pounced on the opportunity to bolster their special teams unit.
He was drafted in 2012 by the Arizona Cardinals and he spent six seasons there, before spending a season with the Falcons and Ravens. Bethel has experience as a cornerback and has recorded four interceptions in his NFL career — three of which he returned for touchdowns.
Bethel will likely spend a majority of his time in New England as a special teams player, because of the depth that they have in the secondary. He’ll be alongside Matthew Slater, who is another special teamer that has numerous Pro Bowl selections. Bethel also earned First-Team All-Pro honors twice in his career.
Subsequently, the Patriots released core special teamer Jordan Richards, who was recently re-signed by the team.
