FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots signed veteran free agent cornerback Chad Scott today. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
Scott, 30, joins the Patriots after spending eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he started 88 of 91 games from 1997-2004. The 6-foot-1-inch, 202-pound cornerback has recorded 19 career interceptions, including four that he returned for touchdowns. His career totals also include 430 tackles and 74 pass defenses. Scott was the longest-tenured member of the Steelers' secondary during the 2004 season.
The University of Maryland product was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round (24th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft. He started nine of 13 games as a rookie and was selected to the Associated Press All-Rookie Team and was also awarded the Joe Greene Great Performance Award as the Steelers' Rookie of the Year. He capped off his rookie campaign by leading the Steelers with eight tackles and three pass defenses as Pittsburgh defeated the Patriots in the 1997 divisional playoffs. After missing the 1998 season on injured reserve, Scott returned in 1999 with a solid season in which he established himself as a reliable starter. Over the next three seasons, from 2000 to 2002, Scott started all but two games for the Steelers and averaged four interceptions and 81 tackles per season. His five interceptions in 2000 tied for the team lead before he led the squad a year later with five more picks. Over the last two years, Scott has started all 19 games in which he has played, averaging 40 tackles and a pair of interceptions per season.
