Artrell

Hawkins

He suffered the injury during practice.

He’s played with Cincy, Carolina, and was with Washington before getting injured in training camp. He’ll probably be starting for the Pats by next week.

Hawkins will provide depth, possibly as a nickel back for Washington.

Quite a surprise. Hawkins made a number of big plays down the stretch of last season while starting in place of Rodney Harrison. His release is a good sign that New England’s secondary is deeper. The Patriots also released DB Gemara Williams and LB Kyle Bissinger.

A police officer stopped when Hawkins was seen arguing with another driver at approximately 3 AM. The other driver claimed Hawkins hit his car while he was parked at a gas pump. Hawkins refused a breath test and was arrested. This may cripple his chances of returning to the NFL.

Hawkins knows Eric Mangini well from his days as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator. The Jets could be looking to upgrade from Rashad Washington.

Hawkins knows Eric Mangini’s defense and could even battle to start at free safety if Kerry Rhodes is allowed to play in the box more in 2008. It’s hard to imagine how he’d be an upgrade over Eric Smith’s potential, however.

The team also announced they reached a five-year agreement with LS Jason Kyle.

The Bengals will put an emphasis on the secondary during free agency and the draft.