Mitchell signing signals that defense is a priority

By David Wedge  |   Thursday, April 06, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New England Patriots
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On Tuesday, the New England Patriots signed unrestricted free agent safety Mel Mitchell for an undisclosed fee. Mitchell makes the move to Foxboro to begin his fifth year in the NFL, after playing his first four seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

The 27-year-old Western Kentucky product, made 12 appearances for the Saints last season and recorded ten special teams tackles. During his rookie year in 2002, Mitchell made appearances in all 16 games and achieved 25 special teams tackles. Mitchell was then struck by injury in 2003 and was forced to miss the entire campaign while placed on injured reserve. In 2004, he became the first Saint in 27 years to recover a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown and finished the season leading the team with 29 special teams tackles.

The arrival of Mitchell comes only a day after the signing of veteran cornerback Eric Warfield from the Kansas City Chiefs. Warfield is entering his ninth season in the NFL and has made 115 career appearances, with 77 career starts.

The New England Patriots appear to be primarily targeting the re-strengthening of its defense, which was so demoralised by a torrid number of injures during the 2005 campaign. No one can blame New England for wanting to avoid a repeat of the events of last season, but in focusing on solidifying the depth of the defense, they must be sure not to overlook the importance of addressing the weaknesses in offense, most notably at the wide receiver position. Also, the Patriots are faced with the unenviable task of replacing kicker Adam Vinatieri.
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