Patriots to sign veteran safety Jaylinn Hawkins to deal

A former full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins appears on track to back up Dugger and Peppers in New England. He is signing a one-year contract, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss adds. Hawkins, 26, split last season in Atlanta and Los Angeles.

In between their Ricardo Allen–Keanu Neal tandem and the Jessie Bates signing, the Falcons turned to Hawkins as a full-time starter for a season. They used the former fourth-round pick as a 16-game starter alongside Richie Grant in 2022, but Bates’ arrival on a $16M-per-year contract led to a 2023 Hawkins demotion. The Falcons waived Hawkins in October, preceding a Chargers claim.

The Cal product intercepted four passes from 2021-22; he forced a fumble and totaled 84 tackles during the ’22 season. Pro Football Focus slotted Hawkins just outside the top 60 that season, leading to Atlanta’s Bates move under one-and-done DC Ryan Nielsen. Hawkins started three Chargers games last season.

As they transition to Mayo and DC DeMarcus Covington, the Patriots moved on from multiyear contributor Adrian Phillips. They slapped the transition tag on Dugger, and no offer sheet has emerged. Peppers is attached to a two-year, $9M contract that expires after the 2024 season.