The Patriots continue to add to their secondary, reportedly signing safety Tank Williams to a one-year contract yesterday.

A former second-round draft pick, Williams spent the last two seasons with the Vikings. But with Minnesota signing former Bengal Madieu Williams to a free-agent contract last week, Tank Williams apparently became expendable.

Two Minnesota newspapers the Patriots reported the signing yesterday. Williams' agent Ken Landphere did not respond to a request for confirmation last night. The Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press did not cite a source for the signing.

The Vikings didn’t make much of an effort to re-sign Williams — his given first name is Clevan — because his numbers in Minnesota weren’t outstanding. Williams missed his first season with Minnesota in 2006 after suffering a fractured left kneecap during training camp. Last year, he played in 13 games (two starts) and recorded 18 tackles and a pass defensed.

The 6-foot-2, 223-pound Williams was the 45th pick of the 2002 NFL Draft — he clocked a 4.45-second 40-dash time — by Tennessee after a standout career at Stanford. He played right away for the Titans, recording 61 tackles, two sacks and an interception in his rookie season. The next year, he had 74 tackles, a half-sack and two picks.

But in 2004, Williams suffered the first severe injury to his left knee, tearing the ACL in the 10th game. Before getting hurt, Williams was on pace to have more than 90 tackles. He was ready to go at the start of the ’05 season and played in all 16 games, with 78 tackles and an interception.

According to the Boston Globe, New England will host Carolina linebacker Adam Seward today.

Seward is a restricted free agent, but the Panthers tendered him at the “low” level, meaning that if the Patriots were to offer him a contract that Carolina elected not to match, New England would surrender a draft pick equal to the round in which Seward had originally been chosen. Carolina chose Seward in the fifth round in 2005.

Although the Panthers play a 4-3 defense, UNLV, where Seward played his college ball, used a 3-4 defense and he played inside.

Seward played in only four games his rookie year due to a foot injury. Before his senior year with the Rebels, Seward was found to have a stress fracture in his right foot. He had a pin inserted and played that season. But at the Combine, it was discovered that not only had the bone not healed, Seward had broken the pin, as well, by continuing to play.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 248 pounds, Seward played in all 16 games as a reserve linebacker in 2006. He missed five games last season with a calf injury but recorded a total of 11 tackles.

smanza@projo.com