The New England Patriots have re-signed cornerback Aqib Talib to a one-year deal, the team announced Saturday.

The move was a pivotal one for the franchise, as Talib was an integral addition to the defense after his acquisition from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline last season.

The 26-year-old Talib returned an interception for a touchdown in the first of six regular-season games he played for the team, and quickly emerged as the Patriots' top cornerback. The Pats' confidence in Talib was reflected in him being used to shadow an opponent's top receiver during stretches of the latter part of the season.

He posted 19 tackles in the regular season with the Patriots to go along with 10 more in the playoffs.

Talib was forced to leave the AFC Championship Game due to an injury suffered early in the game, and the Patriots' secondary struggled as a result of it.

It's been a slow-developing cornerback market thus far in free agency, and Talib was considered by many to be the top player available at the position.

The Patriots came to terms on a four-year deal with Kyle Arrington on Friday, as well as veteran safety Adrian Wilson. Those moves and the re-signing of Talib help to fortify their secondary, an area of focus for the team this offseason.

Information from ESPNBoston.com's Field Yates was used in this report.