FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – The New England Patriots signed Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison and special teams ace Chris Akins, continuing a flurry of free-agent signings that has seen the team sign three players in the span of two days.
The Patriots announced the signing of Akins on Wednesday afternoon. They reached a deal with Harrison late Tuesday night. The team also signed linebacker Rosevelt Colvin earlier on Tuesday.
Terms of the Harrison and Akins contracts were not disclosed; Colvin’s deal is worth nearly $30 million over seven years.
Harrison was hampered by a groin injury last season with the San Diego Chargers, who released him in a salary cap move. He started 13 games, recording two interceptions, two sacks and 88 tackles, including 12 in the final game of the year against Seattle, tying a season high.
The hard-hitting Harrison has accrued over $200,000 in fines over his nine year career. The biggest fine came last season, when he was fined $111,764 and suspended for one game for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Oakland receiver Jerry Rice.
Harrison was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 2001. His best year statistically was in 2000, when he had six interceptions, six sacks and 127 tackles.
The signing of Harrison and Akins, also a safety, gives the Patriots some flexibility in their secondary. Starting safety Tebucky Jones, whom the team has labeled its franchise player, is unsigned, as is safety Victor Green.
Akins, 26, an unrestricted free agent who played last year for the Cleveland Browns, has recorded 57 special teams tackles during his four-year career, including a career-high 25 last season, when he led Cleveland in that category. The 5-foot-11-inch, 195-pound Akins has played in 49 games with Green Bay, Dallas and Cleveland over the past four seasons.
During the 2002 postseason with the Browns, he tallied two special teams tackles and recovered a fumble on punt return coverage against the Steelers.
AP-ES-03-12-03 1835EST
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