Related Links: Free agency central 2000 NFL opponents First-round draft order Forum: Will the Pats rebound from last season?
	T O P   N E W S

Patriots officials, here for the annual predraft scouting combine, confirmed for SportsLine the team reached contract agreements to retain wide receiver Troy Brown and add tight end Eric Bjornson.

A seven-year veteran whose versatility is prized by the New England coaching staff, Brown had received attention from at least three other franchises and was one of the few quality veterans left in the unrestricted free agent talent pool. Bjornson, who played the first five seasons of his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, is hoping to resurrect his flagging career with a change of scenery.

Brown, 28, will sign a five-year contract worth between $12 million-$13 million, and the deal has a $3 million signing bonus. The agreement was finalized here in the last two days as agent Gary Uberstine huddled with Patriots officials to rework the numbers first proposed last week. Those had been originally rejected by Brown, who felt the contract would have been too backloaded.

Details of Bjornson's contract with the Patriots were not immediately available.

While he is hardly a household name, Brown is a key player for the Patriots and his value could be enhanced in 2000, when he will compete for a starting job. The team's eighth-round pick in the 1993 draft, Brown has served as New England's No. 3 wideout and starred on special teams. But the free agency defection of starter Shawn Jefferson, who signed with Atlanta, makes Brown the favorite to grab the starter's spot opposite lead receiver Terry Glenn.

Brown played in 13 games in 1999 and started one. He had 36 catches for 471 yards and one touchdown. He also returned 38 punts for a 10.7-yard average and eight kickoffs for an average of 33.9 yards. Brown played on the kick coverage units as well. In seven seasons, he has played in 92 games, with seven starts. Browns has 137 receptions for 1,827 yards and eight touchdowns.

Once regarded as a rising star, Bjornson was victimized the last two seasons in Dallas by injuries, a change in offensive philosophy and limited playing time. After starting 24 games in 1996-97, he had only nine starting assignments between 1998-99. Bjornson was the Cowboys' fourth-rounder in the 1995 draft but his reception totals were reduced every season since '96.

In '99, Bjornson, 28, caught just 10 passes for 131 yards and no touchdowns. For his career, he's played in 74 games, 34 of them starts, and has 127 catches for 1,232 yards and four touchdowns.