The New England Patriots signed cornerback Brandon Crossley to a futures contract on Tuesday, per a team announcement.
Crossley originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent on May 9 out of Southern Methodist University. However, he was released on Aug. 26. He was re-signed to the practice squad the next day. However, the Patriots released him again the following day.
Eventually, he found his way back to the Patriots. He was signed to the practice squad on Nov. 26. He would spend the rest of the regular season on the practice squad. He was released on Jan. 6 to make room for Jeremiah Pharms Jr. on the practice squad for the playoffs. Now, just a little over a month after he was released by the Patriots for a third time, he has landed a futures contract.
He has yet to appear in an NFL game, but he has flashed potential. In three preseason games, he had eight tackles, one pass defended and a forced fumble. He played six seasons of college football.
He started his college career at Colorado State, but then spent five seasons at SMU. In 54 games at SMU, he had 137 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, six interceptions, 25 passes defended and two touchdowns. In 2020, he was tied for the American Conference lead in interceptions.
Crossley will not count against the Patriots' 53-man roster, and is basically locked into a spot on their practice squad for next season. He will need to impress at training camp to have any chance of earning a real role on the team.
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