More moves were around the corner in Foxborough after the 2026 NFL year opened.
The New England Patriots have since agreed to terms with tight end Julian Hill and safety Mike Brown as unrestricted free agents, as NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday.
Hill, 25, spent the past three seasons with the Miami Dolphins. The 2023 undrafted addition out of Campbell has appeared in 45 games, including 26 starts, during his time in the AFC East. Primarily utilized as an inline blocker, Hill stands with 33 receptions for 288 yards in his career. He has seen 1,298 snaps on offense and 496 snaps on special teams along the way.
The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Hill was not tendered as a restricted free agent, and will now join a New England tight end depth chart featuring captain Hunter Henry along with C.J. Dippre and Marshall Lang.
Brown, 26, entered the league as an undrafted rookie by way of Miami of Ohio in 2022. Following stops on the practice squads of the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns, the 6-foot-1, 218-pound defensive back joined the 53-man roster of head coach Mike Vrabel’s former Tennessee Titans in 2023. He appeared in 35 games from there in the AFC South, logging 59 tackles, two passes defensed and a handful of starts.
At Gillette Stadium, Brown joins a safety position that includes veteran All-Pro arrival Kevin Byard as well as Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler and John Saunders Jr.
The new league year officially kicked off at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.