New England Patriots sign former Cleveland Browns WR Andrew Hawkins to 1-year deal

The New England Patriots agreed to a one-year contract with free agent wide receiver Andrew Hawkins on Wednesday.

Hawkins, who played last three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, confirmed the deal in a video posted to Uninterrupted's Twitter account.

"After giving it a lot of thought, I've decided that I'm going to join the New England Patriots," Hawkins said. "I'm super excited about the opportunity, man, to join the reigning football champions."

Hawkins shared his excitement to work with quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

"When I exited Cleveland I said that it was about joining a contender, and the Patriots are the contender," Hawkins said. "They're the reigning champs.

"And the program is top-notch, and you get the opportunity to play with the best quarterback and the best coach in NFL history. So it's super exciting."

Hawkins, 31, worked out for the Patriots last week. He recently earned his master's degree in sports management from Columbia University with a 4.0 GPA.

Hawkins, who signed with Cleveland as a restricted free agent in 2014 after playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in his first three NFL seasons, led the Browns with 63 catches and 824 yards in his first season.

He dropped off to a total of 60 catches the last two seasons and was released by the Browns in February.

The 5-foot-7, 180-pound Hawkins joins a crowded wide receivers depth chart in New England that includes Brandin Cooks, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell and Danny Amendola.

"It's all about winning for me at this point, and putting myself in the best position to do so," said Hawkins, who added that he passed up bigger deals with other teams.

"I have my work cut out for me, it's an opportunity, and that's how I'm approaching it: Go in there, seeing how I stack up with the best, and try to earn my keep and prove my worth. Hopefully I can be a part of something special and kind of join that Patriots legacy."