RENTON, Wash. -- Brandon Browner was asked last week whether he had brought up the New England Patriots' Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks since he had returned to Seattle.

"That’s a touchy subject," Browner said with a laugh. "I try to leave that one alone, man. It does [get brought up] every now and again, but I try to leave it alone."

Browner spent the first three years of his career playing right cornerback for the Seahawks before signing with the Patriots as a free agent. Last offseason, Browner signed a three-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, but he was released in March.

At age 31, the 6-foot-4, 221-pound defensive back called rejoining the Seahawks instead of signing with the Washington Redskins a "no-brainer."

When asked about what went wrong in New Orleans, Browner said he didn't want to talk about it. But for the Seahawks' purposes, it's the previous season in New England that influenced their decision to sign Browner. And last week's organized team activities session provided a glimpse of his new role as a safety.

Browner will no longer be asked to line up on the perimeter and match up one-on-one with wide receivers.

"Being on the outside, it’s more of a man-to-man concept: You’re a corner on an island," Browner said. "Being in that box, you’re accounted for from the linemen in the run. You’ll get some run keys from the end man on the line of scrimmage. Things are just a little different. But you’re a football player in there. Playing corner, it’s more of a one-on-one thing. We’re playing basketball out there on that island. When you’re in that box, that’s football, I think."

While the position change is new to Browner, some of the things he has being asked to do are not. One responsibility, for example, could be matching up with opposing tight ends. While he was mostly on the perimeter in New England, Browner did take on tight ends at times, such as in this game against the Indianapolis Colts, when Browner lined up against Coby Fleener in man coverage.

At practice last week, Browner matched up against Seahawks tight end Luke Willson. That's a pairing we saw at times in the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks finished 26th in the NFL against opposing tight ends last year, according to Football Outsiders. That's clearly an area where they feel Browner can help.

"He’s a guy who draws the best out of people around him," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "Guys feed off his energy because he’s so tough. And then his willingness to go ahead and learn a new spot. He was wide open to it. I had the chance to see him play in positions like he’s being asked to play now when he was in New England, and we saw some really good things we thought we could mix into our stuff, and he’s very much looked the part. But I really think it’s about him; we like the guy so much."

Browner's one-year deal with the Seahawks is for $760,000 and contains no guaranteed money, meaning he'll be competing for a roster spot this summer. But it's clear that the Seahawks have a plan for him and want to see if Browner can offer additional flexibility for certain matchups.

During OTAs, the Seahawks showed three-safety looks with Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Browner on the field together. The dime look (six defensive backs) is not one that the team used in 2015, and it would mean a linebacker -- either Bobby Wagner or K.J. Wright -- coming off the field. This might not be something the Seahawks feel like they need to use every week, but it could become a tool that defensive coordinator Kris Richard did not have at his disposal last season.

Browner is also getting reps in two-deep safety looks at practice. Learning the additional responsibilities could make him more valuable in terms of depth.

"He’s learning some new stuff, which is good, and he’s looked very good at it," Carroll said. "I think it’s going to work out really well for us if we just keep making progress.

"He’s playing safety is what he’s doing, and we’re moving him around and doing some different stuff. It gives us a real special player with unique qualities, which we always love."

One of the major questions surrounding Browner is penalties. He was flagged 24 times last year; no other player in the NFL totaled more than 16.

Asked about Browner's penalty issues in 2015, Carroll said, "Just last year? He has been somewhat of a violator in that regard. When he was having some trouble the first year he was here, I remember asking [special assistant to the head coach/director of external relations] Ben Malcolmson, 'How’d he do in Canada?' Well, we found out he’d had more than anybody in the league in Canada, so he’s been a little bit of a violator.

"As a matter of fact, interesting that we talked about that today that in his new role, we were talking about the different styles of players that he matches up, and he’s got to develop his style here where that isn’t a factor. We don’t want that to be an issue. And it has been in the past, so that’s a challenge for us."

Browner said the Seahawks' scheme looks the same as when he was last with the team, but he's prepared for his role to be different.

"I love it," Browner said. "It’s kind of similar to some of the things I did in New England. I’ll be matched up on guys that fit my size, be in there on the run a little bit. It’ll show my skill set a little bit."