The Tennessee Titans traded Akeem Ayers to the New England Patriots. The deal was completed after the linebacker passed his physical Wednesday.
Terms weren't disclosed, but a source told ESPN.com that the Titans sent a seventh-round pick with Ayers to the Patriots in return for a sixth-round selection.
To make room for Ayers on the roster, the Patriots released linebacker Ja'Gared Davis. The Titans signed tight end Richard Gordon to fill the roster spot freed up by trading Ayers.
"Well we will see," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said when asked at his Wednesday news conference about what Ayers brings to the team. "Start working with him today. He's played linebacker. He's played defensive end in some sub situations.
"We will see [what he is more suited to play]. I'd say he has some versatility but we will see."
The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Ayers has been inactive for five of the Titans' seven games this season. He is coming off of surgeries on both of his knees to repair patella tendons.
"We talked with him about [his inactivity]," Belichick said. "You have the injury reports so you can look at all the injury reports this year."
The Titans liked the idea of getting bigger when they drafted him in the second round out of UCLA in 2011. In the 4-3 defense run by the previous coaching staff, he was an outside linebacker the team constantly talked of using as a pass-rushing end.
He seemed likely to be a better fit for the 3-4 defense installed by Ray Horton, who changed the defensive front after he was hired by Ken Whisenhunt. But Ayers ranked behind Derrick Morgan, Kamerion Wimbley and Shaun Phillips coming out of camp. The team added Quentin Groves on Sept. 1, and he also got work ahead of Ayers.
The Patriots lost linebacker Jerod Mayo to a season-ending knee injury in Week 6.
ESPNBoston.com's Lee Schechter contributed to this report.