The New England Patriots made a big splash in free agency by signing three-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard on Wednesday afternoon. This turned out to be the first domino to fall in New England’s secondary, as just minutes later, it was announced that safety Jaylinn Hawkins would be signing a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
Hawkins more than outperformed his one-year, $2.3 million contract extension that he signed last offseason to remain on new head coach Mike Vrabel’s defense.
The 2020 fourth-round draft pick recorded 71 tackles in his second season with the Patriots. He also led the entire team in interceptions, recording four.
This unlocked a new part of his game as his four interceptions were the first picks of his career since 2022.
At the very least, the Patriots helped Hawkins secure a major pay raise.
His two-year deal is worth $10 million total, more than doubling his career earnings. His $5 million AAV will be the most the 28-year-old safety has ever made in a single season by a long shot.
It also answers a lot of the questions Patriots fans had about the team’s secondary after the Byard signing. Byard will likely play nearly 100% of the snaps next season opposite last year’s fourth-round draft pick, Craig Woodson.
Also of note, the Patriots have now let every single one of their unrestricted free agents walk in this year’s cycle.