Titans' Akeem Ayers traded to Patriots

The Titans drafted linebacker Akeem Ayers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft with visions of him being a playmaker for many years.

Ayers never provided the consistent impact the team hoped he would, however, and on Tuesday he was traded to the New England Patriots, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The move ended a frustrating relationship between the player and the team. Ayers was a regular starter during his first three seasons in Tennessee, but he was inactive for five of the team's first seven games this season.

The Titans traded Ayers and their seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft to the Patriots. In return, the Titans acquired a sixth-round pick from New England. The trade won't be official until Ayers passes a physical with the Patriots.

In two games this season, Ayers wasn't credited with a single tackle. He was buried on the depth chart behind a number of players, including newcomers Shaun Phillips and Quintin Groves. Ayers clearly had difficulty making the switch to a 3-4 defensive scheme after playing his first three seasons in a 4-3, and convincing coaches he could produce if given a chance.

Earlier this month, Ayers told The Tennessean he planned to remain patient while waiting for an opportunity.

"This is the first time I have missed this many games in my life. Having to watch from the sideline, you are hungry. You see the game from a different perspective and it makes you appreciate it even more,'' Ayers said.

"My whole thing is to continue to work on the practice field. The last thing I want to do is miss a couple of games and start slacking and then it can really go downhill from there. I want to show I can continue to work through adversity and when the time is right, when they feel the opportunity is there to use me, I want to be ready."

A second-round draft pick by the Titans in 2011 out of UCLA, Ayers started 44 of 48 games from 2011-13, and even posted a triple-digit tackle total (110) in his second NFL season.

He was an invisible man under a skeptical new coaching staff this season, however. Ayers had knee issues following last season, which he said slowed him down in preparation for the 2014 season.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said earlier this month he needed to see more out of Ayers.

"The only way he is going to get back on the field is if that happens,'' Whisenhunt said. "He needs to be consistent in his approach and not making mistakes. … (Whether he plays) is really going to be up to him as far as how he prepares and does on the practice field. … It's a work in progress (with Akeem)."

Now, Ayers will get another chance. In New England.