Patriots Re-Sign Safety James Ihedigbo to Strengthen Defensive Backfield

The Patriots have taken one further step toward making sure their pass defense is an improvement come next season.

The team announced on Friday that it had re-signed safety James Ihedigbo, who was a key member of the patchwork secondary that New England relied heavily upon  throughout the 2011 season. The details of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Ihedigbo initially joined the team in August of 2011 as an unrestricted free agent from the Jets. A starter in 12 regular season games and all three postseason games, he set a career high with 72 total tackles and one pass defensed along with 20 tackles and a sack in the postseason. He was initially signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of UMass in 2007.

The Patriots’ pass defense was the NFL’s second-worst in terms of yards allowed last season, as the secondary was ravaged by injuries and inconsistent play.

Photo via Facebook/James Ihedigbo