Patriots Bring Back Safety Jordan Richards
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots and Jordan Richards are reuniting. The Patriots brought the safety back on Wednesday, the team announced.
Richards spent three seasons in New England after the team surprisingly drafted him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Most draft pundits had the Stanford safety going in the sixth or seventh round of the draft, but Bill Belichick had him much, much higher on his draft board.
"We think he might have a role for us here," Belichick said of Richards on Wednesday. "We'll see how it all plays out. I'm not sure exactly what it is yet, but he has experience. He's a smart kid and he's played for us in the kicking game and on defense, so we'll see."
Richards appeared in 41 games during his time in New England, playing mostly on special teams. Richards recorded just three passes defended and 42 tackles with the Patriots.
After the 2017 season, Richards was sent to Atlanta for a conditional seventh-round pick. He played in 15 games for the Falcons, making 12 starts, totaling 39 tackles and three passes defended. Richards spent the preseason with the Oakland Raiders, but was cut ahead of the season.