FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots released linebacker Chad Brown and offensive guard Ryan Krug today.
Brown, 35, is a three-time Pro Bowler who has spent a total of 13 seasons with three different teams: Pittsburgh (1993-96), Seattle (1997-2004) and New England (2005). The 6-foot-2-inch, 245-pound linebacker was signed by the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent on May 10, 2005. Last season, he ranked 10th on the team with 54 tackles (35 solo), and also forced three fumbles while playing in 15 games with five starts. In his career, he has played in 178 games with 161 starts and recorded 1,097 tackles (813 solo), 78.0 sacks, six interceptions, 43 passes defensed, 19 forced fumbles and 18 fumble recoveries. The former University of Colorado standout was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 1996, 1998 and 1999 seasons. The Altadena, Calif., native was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round (44th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he earned First Team All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly, Pro Football News and the PFWA. By his second season in the league, he had become one of the Steelers' most productive defensive players, starting all 16 games at linebacker and pacing the team with 119 tackles in 1994. Two years later, he earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl after recording 13.0 sacks for Pittsburgh in 1996, a season in which he was named First Team All-NFL by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Weekly, among other publications. Brown joined the Seahawks as an unrestricted free agent prior to the 1997 season and led Seattle with 104 tackles in his first season in the Pacific Northwest. He then posted back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns in 1998 and 1999, leading the team in tackles each season. In 1998, he earned First-Team All-Pro honors from a variety of publications and was named Seahawks MVP by his teammates. Brown averaged 100 tackles per season in 2000 and 2001, starting all 16 games in each campaign. During his eight-year stint with the Seahawks from 1997-2004, Brown averaged 93 tackles per season and had more tackles (744) than any other Seattle player over that span.
Krug, 23, was originally signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005, and has not played in any NFL games. The 6-foot-4-inch, 304-pound offensive lineman was released by New England on Aug. 30, 2005. The former University of Connecticut standout had three stints on the Patriots practice squad during the 2005 season: joining the squad on Sept. 4 before being released on Sept. 8, rejoining the squad on Sept. 28 before being released on Dec. 13, then rejoining the squad on Dec. 30 and remaining with the practice squad through the end of the season. He was signed to the active roster from the practice squad on Jan. 30, 2006.
