Pats add a Tank for some safety

By Karen Guregian / Patriots Notebook Thursday, March 6,

2008 http://www.bostonherald.com N.E. Patriots

Little by little, the Patriots [team stats] are patching the holes on defense. Yesterday, they added more depth to the secondary by signing former Minnesota Vikings safety Tank Williams.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press was the first to report the move, as Williams and the Pats agreed to a one-year deal.
It’s the second signing in as many days to shore up the defensive backfield. On Tuesday, the Pats inked cornerback Jason Webster to a one-year deal.
Williams, 27, plays both safety positions and is regarded as a big hitter. He’ll likely be a fill-in behind Rodney Harrison [stats] and James Sanders [stats], essentially taking over for the departed Eugene Wilson, who is testing the free market but has yet to sign with a team.
Williams began his career in Tennessee, spending four seasons with the Titans, who selected him in the second round (45th overall) of the 2002 draft.
In 2006, when he joined the Vikings, he suffered a freak injury during training camp, fracturing his kneecap while backpedaling doing a drill.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 223-pounder appeared in 13 games with two starts. The Vikings wanted to retain him, but Williams explored his options after they signed former Bengal Madieu Williams.
Meanwhile, details of Webster’s deal became available. The Pats will pay the cornerback a base salary of $730,000.
Moss salutes Favre
Randy Moss released a statement on his Web site regarding the retirement of Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
“It has been a blessing and a privilege to watch Brett Favre in his prime, with the MVPs and the Super Bowls,” the Patriots receiver wrote on therealrandymoss.com. “He is a great competitor and he will be missed.
“All I can say is, ‘Brett, I love you and I enjoyed my time watching you. In my heart, a legend is stepping away from the game.’ ”
Gaffney gets $2M
The Pats officially confirmed the signing of wide receiver Jabar Gaffney [stats], who reportedly inked a one-year deal for $2 million.
“Jabar is a good fit for our offense,” coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “He has been a versatile and dependable player who steps up in whatever role is asked of him.” . . .
The Pats are expected to host Panthers restricted free agent linebacker Adam Seward today in Foxboro, according to a league source.
While Seward has been playing in Carolina’s 4-3 alignment, primarily as a backup, he did play the 3-4 at UNLV.
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