Patriots bring back Patrick Chung

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 3, 2014, 1:53 PM EDT
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Patrick Chung is returning to New England.

Chung, a free agent safety who played last season in Philadelphia, will re-sign with the Patriots, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com first reported and the Patriots later announced.

The Patriots selected Chung with the 34th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, and he played well for them at times, both on defense and on special teams. But he didn’t have a great season in 2012, and the Patriots let him walk in free agency.

He signed with the Eagles in 2013, reuniting with his college coach Chip Kelly, but he didn’t play well in Philadelphia last year, either. The Eagles cut him in March.

Now Chung will get a second chance in New England.

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40 responses to “Patriots bring back Patrick Chung”

  3. Guy could never stay healthy and when he was, he was ineffective. I’d rather have Gregory and that’s saying something.

  4. I’ve been watching tape on this guy, and he reeeeeally struggles at just about everything.

    I’m no Patriots fan or a Patriots hater — but Chung can’t play this game well at all.

  6. I say the chances he’s on their roster for the upcoming season at 3%. He just doesn’t make a big enough impact.

  9. Another of the many second round busts by Bill Belichick , that the media of course won’t talk about.

  11. Two points, in order of importance:

    1. Cheap.

    2. He will be playing strong safety, like he did back in that long-forgotten Miami game when he looked like a budding star. His last go ’round with the Pats, Chung was playing out of position because there was no one to play FS. Now, with McCourty playing centerfield and Revis and Browner on the outside, Chung is free to play SS in the Cover-1. He will be in the box a lot more, which is where he appeared to have some promise. Is he an Ed Reed? No. But can he complement the secondary the Pats have in place? I think yes. If not, he’s cut. No skin off anyone’s teeth.

  16. I actually like this move. He won’t have to worry about helping in coverage, he can stack up in the box now that Revis island is out there, McCourty can help out on the other side, and chung can try and shoot some gaps. I think McCourty’s play will improve now that the secondary is much improved to begin with. Also, who knows if Chung will be anything more than a role player at this point.

  17. When Chung was on the Pats, he was sharing the secondary with shutdown cornerbacks like… Terrence Wheatley, Sterling Moore and Julian Edelman.

  22. Enjoy this guy stunk the joint up in Philly he was out of position at least 4 times a game

  23. Maybe the process of getting released by the Pats, and then being terrible in Philly will bring a more mature Chung back to the Pats. Worst case is he is a camp body. He played extremely well in some games, average in most games, and terrible in some. So he has the ability, he just needs to do it every week, rather than every 5th game. He may not be an upgrade to Gregory, but he will be cheaper

  28. Chung has learned his lesson the hard way – life outside the Patriot way is inferior. Bill Belichick may give him another chance but if he screws up in coverage, his career is effectively finished.
    Chung needs to get down on bended knee for the privilege of playing for New England.
    Low cost, low risk depth at minimum and maybe he can help. Bill Belichick showing his superior football intellect, again.

  32. That said, the Patriots can juggle an extra player this year through September while Browner sits for drug abuse.

  33. Camp body with the possibility of improved play with Revis, Browner and McCourty around him.

    If he is still the same old Pat Chung we’ve seen before he won’t make the final cutdown.

  34. He tried hard, but two comical plays in which he knocked his own teammates off of a ballcarrier pretty much summed up his time in Philadelphia.

  37. If bb has a weakness, it is his choice of secondary personnel…….until this year. Seattle showed the league how to win. Pats have struggled mightily in pass d. It has got to be better this year, but not because of this move. Sheesh.

  39. Uhhh – didnt this guy do pretty well in 2010, and then was injured quite a bit in season after that? Including a contract year he was basically out the whole year?

    I dont think he is so atrocious at all.

  40. And to everyone talking about the FAKE PUNT in 2010 – he called the right play in a desperate situation, there WAS A HOLE, it was a bad snap. Easiest situation to rip a guy.
    But anyone who has seen the tape a few times understands: it wasn’t him – it was the snap – there was a hole.
    Thats the easy way out.

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