PHOENIX, Ariz. -- You can take the man out of the Legion of Boom, but you can't take the Legion of Boom out of the man.

That's pretty much the lesson we've learned about former Seahawk and now Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner.

Browner was a premier physical presence for Seattle and grew a strong bond with the likes of Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas.

But he was suspended for the second half of last season in Seattle, missing the Seahawks Super Bowl run before he landed in New England as a free agent this spring.

Now a key contributor in the New England back end that's been transformed, Browner had some curious comments this week as he prepares to face his former brotherhood.

Browner told ESPN that his teammates should go after injuries that Thomas (shoulder) and Sherman (elbow) are dealing with coming out of the NFC title game.

The big New England cornerback stood by those comments at Tuesday's Media Day inside the US Airways Center.

"Those are my brothers, at the end of the day there's no hard feelings," Browner said. "That's like in any game, you have a guy that messes his ankle up and you're going to tackle and make sure you land on his ankle. If a guy messes his shoulder up, then you tackle him and land on his shoulder – that's just a part of the game. You guys know how close I am to those boys and at the time that felt like the right thing to say."

Browner said that Sherman actually texted him after hearing the comment with a simple response -- "LOL."

Throughout the season Browner has brought a unique new aspect to the New England secondary. That goes beyond his physical, hands-on style in coverage. He brings a certain energy and swagger that's spread throughout his new team.

It could be said that Browner brought a little bit of the Legion of Boom with him to New England. And he admits that he'll always be tied into that ultra-tight brotherhood of Seattle defensive backs.

"I got tattooed 'LOB,' Legion of Boom, that's what they mean to me," Browner said, pointing to his covered arm. "What I said, that wasn't coming from a bad place. I'm a competitor, those boys are competitors, that's why we have that bond and we connected because I knew that they were going to lay their bodies on the line for me just like I would for them. I love those guys, I wish those guys the best, but ultimately I want to win this game."

One thing that hasn't changed for Browner is that as was the case in the Pacific Northwest, he feels like he's a member of one of the best defensive backfields in the game today.

"I wouldn't say that I miss it, but those guys mean something to me," Browner said. "I'm happy to be playing with the likes of Darrelle Revis and Devin McCourty – it's like I didn't miss a step. It's not like I went and played for a team that didn't have solid DBs. It is fun.

"Not to pat ourselves on the back, but we're probably the one and two best groups I'll say all-around, not just specific players. As a total group we're probably the two best groups."

While Browner owns a Super Bowl ring from Seattle's win over the Broncos last February, he clearly prefer to actually earn one on the field this Sunday in Arizona. After watching last year's big game from his California home, Browner is riding high this time around with the Patriots.

"It's awesome, it's a dream come true," Browner said. "Just like everybody else, we all dream of getting to this day and I'm fortunate to be here."